What the Oncoming Storm Really Means
by TheInvisibleLlama
Summary: When Amy tries to get to Rory at the end of TATM, the Doctor stops her. What will happen now Amy is still travelling with the Doctor? When they meet Clara, what adventures will the three of them get up to? What exactly is following them? And will the Doctor and Amy realise how they really feel about each other? How their friendship has always been so much more? 11/Amy romance.
1. Chapter 1- Saving Somebody's Life

**Chapter 1- Saving somebody's life**

**So... I'm really happy to be starting another multi-chaptered story! It begins just after Rory has been touched by the angel at the end of The Angels Take Manhattan. My updates are usually with a one to five days wait... so, within a week. :) Enjoy! **

**Oh, and I have to remember the disclaimer. I don't own Doctor Who (although it is a Christmas request!) :)**

In all of the Doctor's one thousand, three hundred years of being alive, he had never felt as panicked and desperate as he did now.

Before him stood Amelia Pond, his Pond, walking towards a weeping angel.

This couldn't happen. She couldn't be another companion that ended up forever scarred after travelling with him. Not Amelia. Not his Amelia Pond.

Why did this always happen? How many people had he permanently destroyed the lives of? He felt a flash of hatred for himself as he stood helplessly behind the Girl Who Waited.

But it vanished as soon as it came. Because he didn't have enough room for two emotions at the same time; not when one of them consumed him so; not when one of them took away his ability to think.

Panic. Horror. Disbelief. It was a mixture of all those things that sent tears running down his desperate face. This wasn't happening. It couldn't happen. Not to his Amelia. Not her. Never her.

She was his special fairytale girl; the girl that calmed his storm. The girl that waited for him.

It didn't feel real. It was happening so fast... one minute everything had been fine; and suddenly... his world had come crashing down. He felt like he was in some sort of daze. This was what happened in his worst nightmares... what he had vowed to never let happen.

"Please... Amelia, please!" He whispered brokenly. He stared at her face as if it was the last time he would ever see her deep green eyes, her flushed, tear stained cheeks, her red hair. And maybe it was.

He wouldn't think like that. He could never think like that. She would come back... He didn't know what he'd do if she didn't. Why wasn't he more careful? Why hadn't he been paying more attention?

Amy. His Amelia. No. No. No. This couldn't happen. He wouldn't let it happen. He couldn't never see her lovely face again...

"Raggedy man..."

No... please...

"Goodb-"

His mind was no longer in control. It was his body that reacted; his body that lunged forward, his body that ran to protect Amy. It was his instinct. She was his ray of sunshine. And he had no intention of living in the dark.

"Amy!" he shouted, grabbing her and bringing her down to the floor.

"Doctor..." she shouted. "Doctor... _What _do you think your doing?" Even in grief she still had her fiery temper.

"Saving you life; okay with that, are you?" he whispered, purposefully mirroring her words on the pirate ship. Or was it his own life he was saving?

"Get off me!" Amy tried to pull him off. The Doctor fought to let go; to restrain himself, to leave her... but it was no good. He _needed _to save Amy. However much he begged himself to; however much he told himself she _wanted _to go, he couldn't release his grip.

Suddenly Amy went limp in his arms. Her eyes widened in surprise before fluttering close; and he saw River holding a syringe that she had stabbed into Amy's left arm.

* * *

_Amy was running. She was running faster than she had ever run. Behind her she glimpsed him; Rory running at her, his face formed in a cold snarl._

"_How could you do this?" he shouted at her. "How could you do this to me?"_

"_I... I tried!" Amy screamed, desperately trying to fight back. "I tried to push them off me, but River had a syringe, and... I was unconscious!" _

_Amy broke into sobs as she realised what had happened; how she had abandoned Rory. _

"_I'm sorry..." _

Amy woke with a start; screaming as she tried to come to terms with what was real and what wasn't real.

Had the dream had any truth in it? Was Rory gone...?

The she remembered.

Amy let out a strangled cry as she realised that she would never see him again. Why had the Doctor stopped her? She would of thought he of all people would understand.

Now she would never see his stupid face again...

Grief clouded her thoughts and tears clouded her eyes, and she curled up in a foetal position on the bed that she had been carefully placed on. How could this happen?

_I hate the angels, _she thought with despair. _Now my life is a wreck. _Amy pined for Rory to be there; to tell her that it was okay, and that she would see him again. _This can't be real... _

_Rory... _

She repeated his name over and over in her head, as if it could somehow connect him to her; as if she could hear him somehow; even though he was unreachable.

* * *

"Amy..." the Doctor crept into her room, and saw her sobbing on her bed like a small child. How could he do this to her? He had kept her from the thing she wanted most; all for his own selfishness.

River had already left. She had kissed him on the cheek and told him to take care of Amy, and then with a click of the buttons on her vortex manipulator she was gone.

The Doctor couldn't help but feel a small amount of resentment towards River for leaving him to take care of the situation, when he was sure River would be much better at calming Amy down than him.

It pained him to see his little Amelia Pond lying on the bed sobbing her heart out. What had he done?

"I'm so... sorry," he whispered. There was nothing else to say.

Suddenly Amy jumped up and grabbed hold of his shoulders.

"How could you do this? You stupid... stupid... stupid... Doctor, you have to make this okay. Please make it okay..." Amy buried her face in his jacket and started to sob.

He had never seen her like this before...

"I... I just... I wasn't thinking... I just couldn't bear to live without you..." he whispered, silently begging her to stop.

He face seemed to soften slightly. And suddenly her arms were around him; and she was holding on to him so tightly that it was like all the air inside of him was being sucked out.

He didn't care.

"Please..." she whispered. "Don't let go."

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know this is an 11/Amy fic, and this chapter contains a lot of Amy/Rory, but right now Amy thinks Rory is her one true love... she doesn't know how wrong she is :D**

**Please review and tell me what you think; it means a lot to me! **


	2. Chapter 2- Tug Of War

**Chapter 2- Tug of War**

**So, two chapters posted at the same time! Well, I thought it would be a good idea to have chapter two posted straight after chapter one... I don't really know why. :)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

"Do you want to go home, Amy?" The Doctor whispered quietly. It had been three months since he had stopped her from going back to Rory, three months since he had ruined her life. The guilt hadn't subsided.

Amy was sitting at her desk in the room that her and Rory had once shared, drawing yet another picture of him. The Doctor sat on a chair at the side of the room, waiting for her to say something.

After a long pause, Amy looked up,

"No... You can't make me go back. Please don't say you'll make me go back..." He heard the panic in her voice, and quickly hurried to calm her.

"No, I was just wondering if you wanted to."

"I... no. No. That place will just bring back memories. I want to remember him... But I don't want to be living a life that constantly reminds me of him. A life that I only wanted because he was there." The Doctor could hear her voice wobbling at various parts in the sentence.

"Well then... Will you stay?"

"Yes... I suppose. Just... Give me time. Don't think I'll be running around chasing aliens any time soon," Amy snapped.

She had been doing that a lot lately; snapping at random points in a conversation for no reason. Although the Doctor knew she had a very good reason... He knew that she was angry. And she had every right to be.

"Can I see..."The Doctor got up from his sitting position and looked at Amy's picture. It was of Rory in his centurion costume, carrying baby Melody into the room she had been staying at in Demon's Run.

"It's amazing," he whispered.

"Thanks..." Suddenly Amy broke into sobs and buried her face into the picture, ruining the shading.

"I'll never see him again, will I?"

The Doctor knew he didn't need to answer.

"Doctor..." he heard her whisper. "Show me a star."

* * *

"That one... What's its name?" Amy pointed to a star in the sky. They were in the TARDIS, standing in the doorway just as they had all those years ago when he had taken her on her first adventure.

"That one? I... I'm not sure." Amy saw the Doctor scratch his chin.

"Oh, _come_ on! You must know!" Amy giggled.

"Nope... not a clue. But... I think it's time we give it a name. So, by the power vested in me as the last remaining Time Lord in existence, I name this star... Amelia Pond."

Amy couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. Amy knew he probably knew exactly what the star was called; and he had said it in an effort to cheer her up. It had certainly worked.

She fell silent. _How could she betray Rory like that? _She had no right to be laughing in the circumstances.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, to no one in particular.

"Amy, what is it?" She saw the concern in his eyes.

"I... I just... feel bad when I feel happy. I shouldn't feel happy. Not when..." She broke into sobs and buried her face in his shoulder.

The Doctor sighed. He needed to find a way to make her happier... Not happy... he wasn't sure if she ever would be completely happy... but happier.

"Amy, stay there," he ordered. He made his way over to the telephone and dialled River's number.

* * *

"Where are we going?" she whispered, as the Doctor pulled her towards the place that he had torn out the last page of Melody Malone.

"This way... here." He picked the sheet of paper up and held it up to her. "Rory published Melody Malone. He wrote an afterword for you."

Amy's heart leapt as she snatched the paper from his hands and ran her eyes over it slowly, carefully savouring the moment. This could be the last time she heard from Rory. She had to make it last...

_Hello, my dearest Amy. _

_I don't really know where to start... I don't know how old you will be when you read this. I am forty eight, and not a day goes by when I do not think of you. _

_I landed in 1938. I have lived a fairly decent life so far. I miss you, and I can never be truly happy without you, but my life is decent. There is only one way I could possibly be happy... grant me one last wish, Amy. Please._

_I worry about you a lot. I often wonder how you will be coping with my disappearance. Please, Amy, I want you to be happy. Just... do it for me. The only way I'll be happy is if your happy. So please don't feel heartbroken, because I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I thought you were sad because of me. Be happy. Travel with the Doctor. Do that to honour me, Amy. Live a happy life. That is my wish._

_I will always love you. _

_From, your ever loving husband, _

_Rory. _

Amy stared at the letter as if in a trance. This was Rory. This was Rory actually talking to her, telling her to be happy...

She glanced at the Doctor, then at the letter, then at the Doctor, then at the letter... and she realised she didn't have to choose. She had thought she had to choose who to live for; who to honour. Should she be sad for Rory, or happy for the Doctor? It had felt like a crushing weight was on her shoulders. Now it had been lifted.

Because they both wanted the same thing. And Rory had said the only way he could be happy was if she was happy...

But what about her? What was it she wanted? Was she even capable of being happy? It was easier said than done.

Yes, the weight had been lifted. But now instead was a game of tug of war; and she was the rope, being pulled in one direction but never being able to fully go there because of he inability to do so; because she herself was pulling the other way.

Amy finished wiping her eyes and looked up at the Doctor. She saw his hopeful but worried face; his eyes wide and caring. And all she wanted, in that moment, was to be in his arms.

Amy wrapped her arms around the Doctor and closed her eyes.

She would _try_ be happy. For her boys. For both of them.

**Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There will be some SciFi/Adventure coming up soon, and yes, Clara will be entering soon! And don't worry, there will be 11/Amy romance! :)**

**Please review! **


	3. Chapter 3- Pain

**Chapter 3- Pain**

**So, next chapter! I hope you enjoy it :)**

**Big thanks to SherlocktorWho and Ajalicejane for reviewing :) **

The Doctor worked hard to bring a smile on Amy's face, and it seemed to be working. Every so often she would grin like she was his Pond again; before she went off to cry in her bedroom for a while.

But the crying became less and less; and the smiling became more and more. The Doctor knew she was dying inside, but hopefully he was making it slightly easier to bear.

_You're not making it any better. It's all just an act. It's an act because she's scared of you. She would never do anything to upset you because after what you did to her in the cemetery, she's terrified of what your capable of. She's just pretending to be getting better when deep down she's getting worse and worse. All she wants is him. All she wants is him... She hates you. She hates you... _

The Doctor shook his head, as if to clear the thoughts away. He had never told anyone, not even Amy, that he heard the Dream Lord's voice every day. His dark side practically lived with him as a separate being; pointing out his worst fears, making him feel bad about himself, putting him down... he knew it was a reflection of how much he hated himself. After over one thousand years of living, you had a lot of things that you had done worthy of being hated for...

_She doesn't hate me. Go away. Go away! _He told the Dream Lord's voice. And as if by magic, it went.

The Doctor knew the voice would come back. It always did.

* * *

"Okay, Pond! I have somewhere to take you. Somewhere bright and shining and... new. As dazzling as... you," he said teasingly, touching Amy's nose before skipping round the console. Amy did her best to smile.

"So... where is this place?" she whispered. Her voice cracked at various points in the sentence. The Doctor seemed to notice, and his expression faltered for a second.

"Well... I mean, if you don't want to go, we could save it for..."

"Doctor!"

"I mean, we could save it for tomorrow..."

"Doctor!" Amy smiled weakly. "Today."

"Well then..." Amy watched as the Doctor ran to the door and pulled them open excitedly. He was like a young child told he was going to Disneyland.

"The planet Barcelona! Because, Amy Pond, it seems to me that every companion I had that I planned to take to this planet left before I got the chance... or stuff got in the way... whatever." Was it just her, or did the Doctor's expression soften for a second, as if remembering something... or someone? Amy couldn't be sure.

Amy stepped outside and for a moment, one shining moment, the memories that were taking over her mind let go. For one beautiful moment, she was happy.

Her mouth transformed from the false smile to a round expression of wonder. The sky was lilac and there were trees ten times the size of her. The people looked similar to humans only their skin seemed ever so slightly tinted with a blue colour. They walked quicker than the average human, and many stopped to stroke the wild but seemingly friendly dogs with no noses.

"That's not the best part," whispered the Doctor. "Wait 'till we visit the ocean."

"The ocean?" whispered Amy incredulously. "The... _ocean?_ We're going in the ocean?"

"Yup!" And with that, he grabbed Amy's hand and pulled her towards the town.

* * *

The town was a lot different to a human town. The houses were pointed at the top with large rings that circled the dome-like buildings. The Doctor told Amy these harnessed their sun's solar power, much like solar panels on earth.

"It's kind of like the earth version... but they've found slightly different ways of getting the power."

Amy smiled softly. _Rory would love this... _Amy sighed. _I must be happy. For him. For him..._

She quickly spoke so she wouldn't start crying.

"What about that ocean trip?"

* * *

Amy stared out of the pod as they moved endlessly through the ocean. 'Barcelona' had large spheres that could move around in water for a set amount of time, and the Doctor had hired one for them to use for half an hour.

They drifted through the sea, exploring the world underneath the water. There were strange, alien sea creatures; creatures with human-like, green, scaly bodies and fish like heads moving gracefully, and alien looking fish that took no notice of the pod.

Despite Barcelona being one of the most beautiful places Amy had ever been, Amy couldn't help thinking of Rory, and how much he would love it. He had never been the more adventurous of the two, but still...

Amy wiped her eyes to get rid of the tears that were threatening to come.

"Woah!" Shock flooded through her as she tripped and fell towards the ground. Amy instinctively put out her hand to stop her fall.

"Ouch! Oops, that... that really hurts..." Amy whispered, clutching her reddened fingers.

"Oh... Here, let me." Amy felt the Doctor's hand on her own; felt him lifting it and placing it on his other hand, where he examined the damage.

"Ah... looks a bit like... Well..."

"You have no idea, do you?" Amy whispered, laughing half-heatedly.

"'No idea' is a strong phrase, Pond. I mean, I think it looks sprained."

Out of nowhere, the tears that had threatened to come came. Everything, Rory, now this... Something like this wouldn't usually make her cry, but everything all came together at once in one big heap. She sobbed and put her free hand to her mouth.

"Amy... Amelia... Pond... Sshh..."

Amy heard the softness in his voice.

In that moment, warmth flooded through her. She had been so starved of love recently, so starved of closeness, that the small comfort sent love through her veins.

"There we go, when we get back to the TARDIS I'll wrap it in a bandage." The Doctor leaned forward and kissed her hand carefully with a tender expression in his eyes.

Amy leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, and pulling him in for a hug. He was her Doctor, the one who was here for her.

_That's hardly fair, _a voice in her head said. _Rory would be here too if he could. _

Amy pressed her face into the Doctor's shoulder and tried not to think about it.

* * *

_Amelia Pond. Like a name in a fairytale. _The Doctor sighed as the Dream Lord's voice tormented his thoughts.

_I know how much she means to you. I've seen her dreams, and yours too. After all, I'm you... _

_It's your fault she's unhappy. You didn't look after them properly. You weren't looking as the angel crept up on them. You brought them with you even though you knew what the consequences could be..._

"I know!" he whispered. "Imagine having to live with knowing you ruined Amy's life. So please, leave me alone."

_Maybe your happy that Rory's gone. So she's all yours. After all, I know that there's a part of you inside that wants her..._

"Oh, shut up! I admit I... may have felt _something _during that exchange earlier... but it was nothing more then that. Just a feeling. And you know it."

_We'll see... _The voice smirked. _We'll see. _

"Yes, we'll see. We'll see how wrong you are."

"Doctor!" Amy said from across the pod. The Doctor jumped, as if caught in the act of doing something awful. His cheeks burned with embarrassment at what he had just been talking about.

"Doctor, we have thirty seconds until we go back to the surface."

"Oh, right, okay then..."

"Hello!" There were speakers at the top of the pods that could be used if operators had to get in contact with them in emergency's, and right now a female voice was coming from it.

"Hey! I'm Clara, and I'm your... um, well, you could say I'm your Guide at the 'Pod Operations Station'... but I think you should just call me Clara. Got it?"

The Doctor's mouth gaped open. Why did all his trips end in a disaster?

There was something else at the back of his mind... he was sure he recognised the voice, but he couldn't put his finger on it...

"Okay, so basically... you're in a bit of trouble."

**Dun dun dun! **

**I kind of stole the Barcelona as a planet idea from 'The Parting of the Ways', as you've probably guessed. I used the quote about dogs with no noses! **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**Reviews are really appreciated :) **


	4. Chapter 4- Infectious Pond

**Chapter 4- Infectious Pond**

**Next chapter! Yay! :D Enjoy! **

**Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, it means a lot to me! :)**

The Doctor immediately grabbed hold of Amy's hand. He knew she was sensitive at the moment and he didn't want her to be frightened.

"We'll get through this," he whispered. "Just a minor pod malfunction. We've had worse." He cracked a smile, desperately trying to make her happy.

"I know," Amy said softly. He could see the look of reassurance in her eyes, and knew she was trying to make _him _feel better. He sighed. Did she ever feel like they were going round in circles?

"So, Clara, what's the problem?"

"Well... Actually, I'm not authorised to tell you."

"_What?_"

"It's the rules. We don't make passengers... _uncomfortable _unless absolutely necessary."

The Doctor sighed, exasperated.

"Ha! Which is exactly _why _I'm going to tell you. Can't help but love being the one to save the day! Who doesn't love saving the crazy guy with a huge chin? Oh, and heard you talking to yourself earlier... something about 'proving how wrong someone is?'"

The Doctor blushed fiercely. Clara was rather... unpredictable.

"Don't worry, I won't embarrass you further by saying the rest." He heard her giggle.

"Right, the Chin! Basically, this pod has... malfunctioned. This is actually the first time it has ever malfunctioned..."

"Yes, yes! I get that your company is probably embarrassed about this, but there are more pressing matters at stake."

"No sense of humour in that chin."

The Doctor scratched his head. He was sure he recognised her voice... and her catchphrases...

"Aaah! Why is my head so thick?" He had so much stuff circling around in his head, it was no wonder he forgot things... Who was she?

"Doctor, are you okay?" He turned around to find Amy looking at him with a worried expression on her face. Her face could always soften him... He felt a smile growing on his lips as he stared at his Scottish redhead. She could always make him feel better...

_Stop it, Doctor, _he thought. _What is wrong with you? She's married, for goodness sake! Well, kind of... Aaaah! Just stop it! _

"Amy, I'm the King of Okay... Um, forget that title... twice. Right, so Clara, in what way has it... malfunctioned?"

"I don't know... It's just gone dead. The parts don't work any more. It's like it's being controlled or something. It's unmoveable."

_Oh great. Just great. _Usually the Doctor would enjoy this; it would be a challenge. But right now this wasn't helping Amy. And right now that was his sole purpose: to make her feel better. He had a feeling this wouldn't.

"Um... the Chin? There's a bit more to it then that. Every year, once a year, the ocean ices over." The Doctor stopped and his head slowly lifted.

"What? No it doesn't... Of _coarse _it doesn't!"

"Um, hang on a minute... The ocean _ices _over? But surely that would take time..."

"That's what _I'm _wondering," he replied to Amy. "So, there's not any way to move it?"

"Not that I know of." The Doctor sighed. Why did this have to happen? How come the company didn't close down on this day? _It all comes down to money, _he thought bitterly. _So much for making Amy happy. _

"Keep calm, chinboy." _Chinboy... Chinboy... _Where had he heard that before?

He heard a gasp from behind him. The Doctor spun round immediately and hurried over to Amy. It was a sort of reflex now; if Amy needed him he was there.

"Doctor...Oswin!" whispered Amy.

"Oswin... Oh! Oh, Oswin! Soufflé girl! " How could he of been so blind? He must be getting old...

"Clara... er... this is awkward. Do you happen to know someone called Oswin Oswald?"

"Never heard of her in my life... Although my last name is Oswin. How funny."

"Um... Okay, well... we'll get back to this later." He ran his hand through his hair.

"This is going to be a tricky one."

* * *

Amy lay next to the Doctor, shivering. The ocean was slowly icing over and their oxygen was running out. Amy had seen people trapped under ice before in films. It wasn't quite the same, since they were in a pod with oxygen (or rather, oxygen that was running out), but she felt the fear that she knew the characters must have felt... well, what they would have felt if they were real.

It was like a human being's worse nightmare; trapped under ice, without any means of escape. It was human nature to panic, to desperately try anything to survive. Survival was instinct.

Amy's panic grew as she stared up at the ocean's surface, through the pod's transparent ceiling. The pod was suspended in the water; never moving. They were isolated from everyone and no-one knew they were down there. No one apart form the Pod Operations company. But they didn't seem to care.

"It'll be okay, Amy," the Doctor reassured her. "I'll get us out of this. Don't worry. We'll be okay."

"I know," Amy whispered.

They sat up and the Doctor immediately embraced Amy with a tender hug. Amy closed her eyes and pretended they were on board the TARDIS, in warmth and light. _Maybe it's best that Rory was touched by the angel. At least this means he won't die with us. At least he's alive. The Boy Who Lived. _

* * *

"Amy... Amy, no! Stay awake. Stay awake..." The Doctor could see Amy drifting off. The cold was slowly killing them and he knew it.

He couldn't bear to loose Amy... _Please, no... _Not her. Never her... She was the Girl Who Waited. His fairytale girl. _Please..._

She was dying because of him. It was his fault. He could see her teeth chattering and he saw the way she lay on him, desperate for rest. If he had never stopped her from going with Rory this would never have happened...

He realised he was staring at her and quickly averted his gaze.

_Oh, Amelia. _He stroked her ginger curls and closed his eyes.

_Is this enough to prove you love her? Or will you keep hiding it? You can't hide anything from me. Loves a red head, our naughty Doctor... _The Dream Lord went on and on in his mind.

The Doctor stared at Amy with sadness in his old eyes. Hadn't this happened before? Hadn't he been in love with Rose once? _And what happened to her, Doctor?_

He couldn't help it. Every time he looked at her, he felt protectiveness and love. Every time she spoke, he forgot everything and listened to her. Every time they hugged, he never wanted to let go.

How had this happened? She had been a little girl when he first met her. He had kept her waiting for fourteen years, and then brought her with him... _She's infectious, _he thought._ She brings light to anyone she touches. _

What about River? He was married to her! And he loved her. He did love her. But there was just something about Amy... she was the most beautiful person he had ever met. Inside and out.

Amy Pond. The Girl Who Waited. How much had he messed with her life?

_Do you see now? _The Dream Lord laughed gleefully. _Silly Doctor. Oh, look, our old boy has finally admitted how he feels. _

"Doctor? Chinboy? Er... Are you still with us?"

The Doctor followed Amy's lead. His eyes fluttered close, and he felt himself slipping away...

And in the background he heard Clara's banter.

"Doctor? Are you okay...?"

**Cliffhanger! :D Dun Dun Dun! Sorry. I just had to do that! **

**I know it's a bit weird to have an ocean icing over, particularly since it happens so fast, but there will be an explanation! **

**Oh, and a couple of fanfics I've read ('Ratings out of Ten' by TwilightHayley and 'The Girl Who Didn't Make Sense'/'The Girl Who Dreamed of Stars' by FallOutGrl02) have given sneak peeks of the next chapter to all the reviewers. They're very good reads. Anyway, so from now on if you review I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter! But if you don't want a ****sneak peek just say in your review :) **


	5. Chapter 5- Little Days

**Chapter 5-Little Days**

**Apologies for the late update; I've been so busy this week! I meant to post it on Sunday, but I didn't get the chance. Well, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Previously:** The Doctor followed Amy's lead. His eyes fluttered close, and he felt himself slipping away...

And in the background he heard Clara's banter.

"Doctor? Are you okay...?"

* * *

The Doctor's eyes shot open. _What? _He was in the TARDIS and Amy was lying next to him.

"Amy? Are you okay?" He saw her eyes flutter open, and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"So, Doctor. Did you enjoy your little fantasy?" The Doctor looked up and saw the Dream Lord staring down at him.

The Dream Lord? He was responsible for this? Why?

"Why do this?" He asked the most obvious question.

"Well, you needed to admit your feelings sooner or later." _What? _

"Excuse me?"

"Ha. I have won. I proved you wrong, Doctor. I shall withdraw. Farewell." The Dream Lord vanished, leaving the Doctor and Amy to their own devises.

"Well... I guess that explains the whole 'ocean icing over' thing..."

The question that the Doctor had been dreading most came from Amy's lips.

"Doctor? What feelings?"

* * *

Amy lay in bed and thought about what had happened earlier. The Doctor had refused to answer her question properly, by saying, 'nothing,' and telling her to go to bed, since she must be tired. In fact, she was far from it. She had just been dreaming, after all.

Apparently some of the psychic pollen must of remained in the TARDIS, creating the dream state and letting the Dream Lord free once more. It was strange to think of him as the Doctor... he was far from the loveable Time Lord that Amy knew.

What had the Dream Lord meant by 'feelings'? Amy wasn't sure...

She closed her eyes and hoped her boys were okay. Both of them. Her Raggedy Doctor and her Last Centurion, who were always there.

* * *

"Amy! I have something for you... Breakfast in bed! How's that Pond?" Amy rubbed her tired eyes and tried to focus on the Doctor's jolly looking face.

"You haven't made me fish fingers and custard, have you?"

"You underestimate my cooking skills, Pond. Didn't I tell you I invented the Yorkshire Pudding? Now, eat up! We have a big day ahead of us!" Amy had never seen someone rush out of a room so quickly. Within seconds, he was gone.

Amy inspected her plate carefully. There was a sausage, an egg, some beans and a hash brown potato. _Where did he get that from?_ _Unless he made it..._ Something caught her eye. It was a white note at the side of her plate, written in red ink. It read:

_Eat up, Pond! Oh, and I made the hash brown myself! Who's clever, eh?_

Amy chuckled to herself before stopping. Rory had often brought her breakfast in bed... Minus the note. _I hope he's happy living in the past... _

* * *

Amy stepped into the console room. She was wearing a short black skirt with her big red jumper, nylon tights and converse boots. She almost burst out laughing at the Doctor's shocked expression.

"What's so wrong about this outfit?"

"Er... nothing. I mean, nothing is wrong with that outfit... I mean, it's brilliant, actually, amazing... Um, I mean... I didn't mean... Er..." Amy sniggered at his flustered speech.

"I just... You haven't dressed like that for a while, that's all." Amy looked down. It was true. Since the Doctor had left her and Rory she had dressed a bit differently, and since Rory... left, she had taken to wearing jeans and the first top she happened to see.

"Well... I just felt like it, I guess..." She smiled and before she knew it she was in the Doctor's arms, in a bear hug from her Raggedy Man.

"I'm so glad my Amy's back," she heard him whisper. "I know how much you're hurting, and maybe it will never really stop, but I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to make you happy." Was it just her, or did she hear his voice break slightly at the last sentence?

"Thank you."

* * *

"Doctor..." her voice trailed off as she watched him skip around the TARDIS console. Amy smiled to herself. In some ways he was like a child, but in other ways he was so very old...

"Doctor... what did you mean by 'we have a big day ahead of us'?"

"Well, Pond, for us every day is a big day! We skip the little ones!"

"Oh..." Amy's face fell. Did he ever just want to relax? Usually she was always ready for adventure, but on very rare occasions, she just wanted to... to do nothing.

She knew if she tried to go on an adventure now it would be half-hearted on her part. Even though she was trying to be happy for her boys, she wasn't ready to let go of Rory. Maybe she never would be.

Her eyes started to water and she let out a sob._ Rory..._

She had been pushing the pain away so she could try to be happy for her boys, but even so, there was an ache that followed her round wherever she went.

He was all alone, while she was running round having adventures with her Raggedy man. How much more selfish could she possibly be?

All she wanted in that moment was to be in Rory's arms, to be comforted, to be told everything was okay...

"Pond... come here... Maybe we could have a little day today..." Amy sniffed and let the Doctor's arms comfort her.

* * *

"What about... Hey, what about 'The Lord of the Rings?'" The Doctor had agreed to have what he called a 'little day' and Amy was currently flicking through the television channels.

"Yeah. 'The Lord of the Rings' is cool." The Doctor grinned at Amy, hoping to bring a smile to her face.

A smile seemed to tug at her lips, but didn't quite reach her eyes. The Doctor looked down. He didn't want to see her suffering.

_Come on, Doctor. It's your job to make her happy... To keep her safe. _

He reached out and out his arm around her shoulders awkwardly. He saw her eyes lift to stare at him; he saw her move closer...

_She's so lovely... Aaah! Don't be so stupid, Doctor... _

The Doctor felt Amy's head on his shoulder, and he shuffled closer to her. This small exchange felt so perfect, so simple; yet it said so much. How they were in this together. How they were there for each other... how even though everything was falling apart, they still had each other. The Doctor and Amy Pond. Sitting on a sofa and watching the television.

_Maybe little days aren't quite so bad after all._

* * *

_Clara was screaming. She didn't know what was happening; all she knew was that she was being dragged by unknown beings; people she couldn't see because of the blindfold across her eyes. _

"_Get off me! Get. Off. ME!" _

Clara's eyes shot open. She sighed. _That dream again. _She had long since given up on trying to escape; she had soon learned that trying to escape _them_ was pointless, and only caused her more pain.

She had that dream almost every night... although she wasn't really sure if it could be called a dream. It was more like a memory. She was remembering what had happened a week ago; how she had been taken and brought to this... place.

_Please... just get me out of here. Just... kill me now... _

Clara was tough. She could handle a lot; especially with her genius mind... But this was just too much.

She saw the figures approaching again, with their masks still on.

"For the last time, what do you want with me?"

The coldness of the figure's voice sent chills running down her spine.

"Well... we think you can help us."

* * *

Amy giggled as the Doctor did his famous 'drunk giraffe' move. He was dancing to the Beatles; he had put them on and they were having a laugh; dancing and singing along and just generally being silly. The great thing about the Doctor was that he could just make you forget everything.

Suddenly something caught her eye. The TARDIS screen flashed into action. A girl appeared on the screen...

It was the girl. From the dream... _Clara. _The girl who had the same voice as Soufflé girl...

"Doctor! Look!" The Doctor spun round and ran to the screen. Clara's lips formed one sentence:

"Doctor... Help me."

**I hope you enjoyed that! Oh, and I know the 11/Amy romance is moving forward quite slowly, but I'm doing it gradually, as I think that is how it would happen in real life. **

**Anyway, review to get a sneak peek of the next chapter! :) **


	6. Chapter 6- Signals

**Chapter 6- Signals**

**Sorry this is such a late update! I have had so much homework to do recently... :( But it's the holidays now... which means more writing time! :D**

**Did you watch the Snowmen? It was amazing! I really like Clara. I wasn't sure if I was going to, but I did! :D**

"Doctor, what was that? Why was Clara there... I mean, it was her, wasn't it? I recognised her voice. I thought she was just part of the dream..." Amy said to the Doctor.

"Er... It appears not... But the real question is, why does she have the same voice and the same catchphrases as Oswin?"

Amy thought about this. How could she be exactly the same as Oswin? They could just be related... But that didn't explain why she had the same personality, qualities _and _catchphrases.

"I don't know..."

"Well, anyway, we'll worry about that nearer the time. Never ignore a coincidence... unless your busy. Which we are. In which case, always ignore a coincidence... It seems to me, Amy Pond, that she was asking for our help. So, Pond... Shall we go on an adventure _now_?"

Amy grinned. She needed something to take her mind off everything... Maybe an adventure with her Raggedy man was what she needed. Something to take her mind off of the pain...

The Doctor extended his hand out to her, and she took it.

"We shall, Sir Doctor." Amy giggled.

All that dancing had made her feel lighter. She had had her little day. But now someone was in danger. Somebody needed rescuing...

And wasn't that _just _what The Doctor and her were best at?

* * *

"So... where do we start?" Amy sat down on a chair and folded her arms. After all this time, she needed a distraction.

"Well... I've been thinking... Notice how helpful she was. Or rather, how _un_helpful. 'Doctor, help me' doesn't exactly give us much to go on."

"So what...? I mean, if she has some sort of connection with Oswin... well, Oswin's a genius, right? She could of found a way to send us a message, but maybe she didn't have much time... Maybe whatever is holding her captive was coming and she had to stop."

"Yes, but why call us? She doesn't even know us. Well, not really... Oh, it's complicated. We've met her in a dream, but that might of just been our imagination. We could of met her on the Asylum, but she died... and it depends if she is the same person or just has the same voice... and personality..."

"Can that happen?"

"Yes... It has happened. Very rare, but... I had a friend once. Martha Jones. She was identical to her cousin... and then there was Gwen, Jack's friend... Sorry, where was I?" Amy rolled her eyes.

"Well, anyway... So even if both those meetings were really her, who do you call in your time of need? As much as I liked her, we don't know her," said the Doctor. "Why would she call us?"

"Wow, we're getting somewhere," Amy said sarcastically. "Maybe she doesn't have many friends she can call on. Or maybe their not capable enough. Like, I love my mum and dad but if I needed saving from some alien there's no way I'd call them. So, are we going to look for her or not?"

"I think...I think if she's desperate, well... she strikes me as the kind of girl who'll get in touch."

* * *

"So, Doctor... Where are we going?" Amy folded her arms across her chest. She felt like she needed to be doing something; anything to take her mind off things. If she wasn't running round having adventures, she would be left in her own thoughts... she would have all the time in the world to think of Rory... Now _that_ would be messy. It seemed she was going through different stages; at first she hadn't wanted to leave the TARDIS, but now... Now she felt like she needed to do things; to keep busy... Amy was terrified of being left alone.

"There's somewhere I need to stop off at. I'm hoping they could give us some information about Clara's message..."

* * *

"Doctor! My old friend. How are you?" An old man that Amy had never met shook her hand in greeting and gestured for her to take a seat.

They were in a 'Starship Observatory'. It was like a large dome, with the ceiling made of glass. Apparently it was it's own planet; at bit like Starship UK. It floated through space; powered by alien engines that fed off the energy that stars gave off. Through the glass ceiling was the cosmos; more brilliant and shining than Amy had ever seen it before. Around her were gadgets and large computer-like screens.

The Doctor had told her that this place monitored the whole of space; every signal was picked up in this room. The large dome like place was breathtaking; it shone with sheer splendour and grandeur. The walls were perfectly curved; with the banisters on stairs leading up to different rooms in the observatory and the railings swirling around the room; making Amy feel like they hadn't been man-made, or in this case alien-made, at all. No, they were natural; like they were blossoming from something. The stairs spiralled away from the room, and the wall never seemed to end; like they were always growing upwards. The very top ceiling was the most remarkable part, though. Amy had been in space before, heck, she had _floated _in space before; but this place enhanced the beauty that was already there.

"Amy, come on, we've got a job to do." What? It was unlike the Doctor to get straight to the point quite so soon...

"But... but it's... Doctor..."

"Yes... It is rather lovely, isn't it?" His voice seemed to soften slightly as they stared at the stars. "Amy, I promise we _will _come back here to have a look around at some point, but right now this is quite urgent. Right now, we are trying to get some information about Clara's message. Hopefully, we will then know more about it... Which leads towards finding out more about where she is. Got it?" Amy rolled her eyes.

"Raggedy man, we're in a time machine, stupid. There's no rush." The Doctor smiled gently. It had been a long time since she had had any fight in her to give him any fiery attitude, not since... not since Rory left. It was only a small speech; didn't look like much from an observer's point of view, but to the Doctor it meant the world.

"Amy, come on. We _will _come back here. Now, _got it?_" She sighed.

"Got it."

* * *

"Amy, this is my old friend, Beta Ragnarok. He monitors all incoming signals from a certain section of space." The Doctor smiled at the old man and shook his hand.

"He is the only humanoid to work here," said the Doctor.

"Yep, I can certainly see that." Amy was surrounded with different alien life forms; some more human looking than others. They all worked in the observatory.

"Doctor, why is it called an observatory? Monitoring signals isn't exactly..."

"Observing? Well, if you think about it, it kinda is... but they also _observe _and study the stars and planets, and see what new discoveries can be made."

"Right." Why were they here? If their purpose was to find out more about Clara and her message, why come to a space observatory?

"Beta? I need you to tell me if you've... picked up any signals. Specifically, I mean messages. Have you picked up any messages from a girl, a bit younger than Amy, with brown hair, saying, 'Doctor, help me'?"

Amy watched as Beta scratched his chin, spun on his chair to face a small screen and started to type ferociously. _What was he doing? Why did the Doctor need to know if this place had picked up the signal? _

"Right... Amy, this may take a while."

**I hope you enjoyed that! I know it was a bit shorter than usual, but I thought it was a good place to end it. **

**Remember, review to get a sneak peek of the next chapter! (If you don't want one, though, just say!) **


	7. Chapter 7- Never

**Chapter 7- Never**

**So, here's the next chapter of _What The Oncoming Storm Really Means. _I'm so sorry about how late this has been updated! :O I know I haven't been updating every five days like I said I would, but I honestly underestimated how busy I would be with the holidays and stuff... Anyway, this A/N is probably boring you, so I'll stop rambling. I think eight days is a more likely estimate for my updates... Enjoy! :D This chapter has some confused Amy in it, so this might bring about a bit of a change in the Doctor/Amy relationship. Oh, and a late happy new years to you guys! **

**Thank you to anybody who has favourited (I know that isn't a word) followed or reviewed this fic so far! I think when we reach the end I'll do a list. **

**I haven't done a disclaimer in a while, so... I don't own Doctor Who! **

"Doctor! I've found a message... Is this what you're looking for?" The Doctor spun round to see Beta playing Clara's message.

"Thank you... Yes, that's it. Now, I need to know... was this signal sent directly to the TARDIS, or was it sent everywhere in time and space?"

This question seemed to confuse Beta. The Doctor knew how unpredictable he could be, and how everyone often struggled to keep up with him. That was, he supposed, one of the reasons he had his companions. So that he had someone to explain to. _You love the sound of you're own voice... _the Dreamlord was always present.

Of course, that reason made up about zero point one percent of why he had a companion... he chose people because they were brilliant, because they were as mad as him, because they were fun to be around... _All those things point to Amy. _

What? Where did that come from? _Don't be silly, I was just... making note of what an amazing friend Amy is. That's all... _

_Great, _the Doctor thought. So now he was having conversations in his head; getting flustered and frustrated with _himself. _It was a wonder he was still sane...ish.

_Aaah! Do you know what? We will get back to this later... right now, focus! _

The Doctor shook his head as if to clear it. Sometimes it could be so frustrating having so much going on in your brain...

"So, Beta, can you answer my question?" Beta looked confused.

"Yes... I mean, it _was _sent directly to the TARDIS."

"Okay... So either Clara just happens to know how to send a message directly to the TARDIS, which, quite frankly, only a few people know how to do, or... someone else sent it for her. Which means... either she knows some _very _clever people, or... the message was against her will."

* * *

"Doctor, _why _would the message be against her will? How? Ex. Plain. Now. Explain!" The Doctor flinched. Note to self: _never _make Amy Pond wait for an answer. There were things Amy was incredible at waiting for. Right now, an explanation wasn't one of them.

They had just left the observatory and said goodbye to Beta.

"I don't know... But think about it, Pond. Really think. She sent it to us. _Why? _She hardly knows us. People contact people they know and trust in their times of need. She doesn't really know us... I mean, assuming she is the same person as Oswin, which, frankly, I can't see how she would be... the universe is big and complicated... that's a question for another day. But assuming they are the same person, well, like she said, she has never met us. Not properly, anyway... and remember what I said before... she was extremely unhelpful... like she didn't _want _us to help her."

"Right, okay," Amy said softly. She sensed how stressed this was making him; how he hated not knowing things. "Well... It's late. I guess I'll see you in the morning. Don't worry, Doctor. I'm sure we'll figure this out. I mean, I know I'm probably not much help, but... we'll figure this out. Together." Amy looked into the Doctor's eyes and saw them wide... his expression had softened somehow; he looked touched, and somehow the way he stared at her reminded her of a puppy. Sometimes he really was like a small child. In that moment, Amy couldn't help but feel love. She felt warmth flood through her. She always felt safe with the Doctor, but sometimes she felt like he was the one who needed looking after.

On impulse, she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

This wasn't like the times when they were having a laugh; when she comically gave him a peck on the cheek and pulled a funny face, or the times when she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation or to show their friendship.

It felt different.

She felt her cheeks burn red. "I guess I'll be off..."

Amy departed from the room.

* * *

Amy closed her bedroom door and fell onto her bed.

What. Just. Happened?

_Calm down. Put it into perspective. You just kissed him on the cheek. So what? You've done that before. _

Why had she felt so warm? Why had she felt so much love for him in that moment? Of course, she always felt love for him, but this felt different...

Why had the kiss felt so different from any other kisses on the cheek she might have given the Doctor? Why had her cheeks burned with embarrassment afterwards? This type of moment was usually something that happened only with Rory...

Rory.

Amy could feel her eyes starting to water and she wiped them angrily, only making way for more to fall. What had happened?

Amy reached over and grabbed the picture of Rory she had beside her bed, and held it before her eyes. Why had she felt something that was usually reserved for him?

"I'm sorry, Rory..." she sobbed. "I know you would never have let this happen if it was the other way round... I wish you were here."

_Calm down. It was just a heat of the moment feeling. You've had them before, right? It probably won't happen again..._

"I'll make sure it _never _happens again."

Amy knew that whatever... _feelings _might be there, she was determined to make sure they would _never_ break through. Never.

It was nothing. Just a one off. It would never happen again...

**Dun dun dun! Amy just got a hint of what the Doctor really means to her! She's determined that it's not real... will she ever see sense?! Of course, the 11/Amy romance will move slowly... **

**Also, their is a couple of things I need to say: first, the explanation for the Oswin/Clara mystery will be different to the explanation on the show. Second, I haven't forgotten River and her relationship with the Doctor. That will be addressed later... I won't be immediately writing off his feelings for her, as I want to keep it as cannon as possible... It will happen more gradually. **

**Remember, review to get a sneak peek of the next chapter! :D **


	8. Chapter 8- Not As It Seems

**Chapter 8- Not As It Seems**

**Hey! I'm so sorry about how late this update is. :( I know it's been two weeks, but my internet broke down so I couldn't publish anything. It's fixed now! **

**I would just like to say thank you to anyone who has reviewed, it means a lot. Also, I'd like to say thank you to my anonymous reviewers! I can't reply and send you sneak peeks so I'd just like to say I appreciate the reviews and**** I wish I could send you sneak peeks too! **

**Okay, so the mushiness is over now. Enjoy! **

Clara kept her eyes closed. She had recently learnt that this was the best way to deal with what was happening. _Don't react. Whatever you do, don't act like you're afraid. Pretending to remain neutral is the only way._

"Child, we take no pleasure in this."

_Yeah, right._

"It is necessary. Soon you will realise that you have been a part of something great. Soon."

Clara felt cold hands fastening straps around her head, waist, arms and legs.

For some people, the fear of what would happen would force their eyes open. For Clara, it kept them shut. _Don't let them see that you're scared. Don't accept their false pity._

_Pretend nothing is happening. Pretend nothing is happening. Pretend nothing is happening..._

She heard them flick the switch. Clara's consciousness slowly drifted away...

* * *

Warmth. That was the first thing the Doctor had felt when Amy had pressed her lips against his cheek.

Then guilt. He didn't know why. Maybe it was the way her eyes widened like she had committed a crime, how she had fled from the room. Maybe it was the fact that he knew how much she was missing Rory; how he was now the only person left that she had. She had her parents, but the Doctor knew she was on the run from them now too. How could she tell them that Rory was gone?

So that just left him. The useless, 'raggedy' Doctor who had only ever brought her misery. Why hadn't he just let her go? The Doctor knew that she would probably be happier with Rory.

Why was he even thinking about it? _She kissed you on the cheek, for goodness sake. Get over it. It was yesterday. _It wasn't so much the action, but the feeling that had passed between them when it had happened...

_Stop thinking about it. Don't ruin her life even more. _

* * *

Clara knew she was losing consciousness. It happened slowly, gradually; until everything was a blur, and words and sentences had no meaning any more.

_Let me be. Don't submit! Don't slip away! _

"We've checked his co-ordinates..."

"We know his next stop..."

"Get her ready..."

Clara could hear what they were saying but she could barely understand the words; she felt so drowsy...

"Okay, so... I think she's almost there."

_So it begins. Again. _

* * *

"This looks... interesting." Amy said sarcastically. She was currently standing in a large, metallic, sleek spaceship. It wasn't that it wasn't impressive... it was _definitely _impressive, but she had seen this sort of thing before. Amy wanted something to really take her mind off of everything. She wanted some big, impressive planet with plants and civilizations...

She was trying not to think about Rory every minute of her life. Trying to be happy for both of her boys. It wasn't easy when the most important person in your life had been cruelly taken from you...

Would the ache ever stop?

_Keep going. For the Doctor. And for him..._

She still felt awkward about the kiss on the cheek yesterday. _It didn't mean anything. Just a friendly gesture. Any feelings were just because of how alone being without Rory feels..._

"Come _on, _Amy. I've just got to talk to one of my old friends... see if he knows anything else about the Clara mystery."

"Fine. But lets make it quick."

A black metal door slid open and they hurried through.

* * *

After spending some time navigating through long corridors and grand hallways, they eventually found the control room, where the space ship was driven.

"My friend is the chief navigator. He might know something about what's happened to Clara... it depends if he's come across anything odd lately. Come along, Pond."

It was comforting to be called 'Pond' by the Doctor. It made her feel cared for; like she was a small child again with her Raggedy Doctor. It reminded her of the days when she first set off with him to see the stars; before anything bad had happened. When everything was perfect...

She saw the Doctor press his psychic paper against a scanner beside the door. A green light moved up and down the paper, before the doors slid open.

"Ah, Edward, my old friend... This is Amy. Amy, go say hello. I'm just going to go check the rest of the spaceship..."

Amy moved towards the five figures sitting on comfortable looking chairs. Why weren't they answering?

"Hey, my name's Am-" Shock flooded through her. Where the people should be were five fresh skeletons.

Without hesitation, she shouted, "Doctor!"

**To make up for the lateness of this chapter I will have the next chapter posted later today.**

**If you review I'll send you a sneak peek of chapter 10, as there's not much point in sending you one for chapter 9 as that chapter will be posted today.**


	9. Chapter 9- Shadows

**Chapter 9- Shadows**

**So, as promised, here's the next chapter! :) Oh, and I will have the sneak peeks sent out in the next few days! **

"What happened to them?" Amy whispered.

"I... I don't know..." Only then did Amy remember that Edward had been the Doctor's friend. She had forgotten that she was not the only one who suffered loss.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. There was nothing else to say.

The Doctor sighed.

"Don't worry yourself, Pond." Amy could tell how false his smile was; how he was keeping in his sorrow.

"So, um, do you think whatever did this to them is still here?" she whispered. Amy didn't want to impose on the Doctor's chance to say goodbye to his friend, but she could see that whatever did this to them clearly had no problem with taking lives.

"Maybe, probably... We should go. Amy, we should definitely go..." Amy could hear his unspoken pain.

Without pausing, she wrapped her arms around him, in the hope of giving him some comfort. She immediately felt him return her gesture. It reminded her of the moment they had shared on Starship UK, that small exchange that had led to them trusting each other completely. She felt him press his head against her shoulder. Now it was him who needed comforting.

"Don't worry... I mean, you've still got me." How pointless that sounded; how weak it was in terms of comfort. Trouble was, she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Amy didn't realise how much that sentence actually meant.

Suddenly there was a determination in his eyes; a ferocious look that Amy hadn't ever seen before.

"Yes. Come along, Pond."

"Where are we going?" Amy asked, startled by his intensity.

"Back to the TARDIS."

"But... don't we need to stop whatever did this? I mean, what if there are survivors...?"

"Amy... You were right. About me still having you. It made me think... there have been so many times that I've nearly lost you." He didn't need to say the unspoken words; how he had nearly lost her to the Weeping Angels. He didn't want to remind her of the worst day of her life.

"I can't let that happen again. Whatever is here... and, believe me, I have a good idea of what it could be... they clearly have no mercy. I'm not losing you again." His voice had softened now, and Amy was touched by his words. His eyes had that puppy dog stare that he seemed so good at; although she knew he wasn't doing it on purpose. Despite his age, sometimes he really was the one who needed protecting.

"I understand, believe me, I understand... but you can't protect me from everything. We need to stop whatever is here. Think of the people who could get hurt if we don't..." Amy saw understanding fill the Doctor's eyes, and he sighed and turned around.

"Damn your persuasiveness, Pond. Okay, but... promise me something." Amy didn't to think twice about her answer.

"Anything."

"Do exactly what I say. No wandering off. What we're dealing with here is serious."

Amy felt fear build up in the pit of her stomach and her heart went to her throat. The Doctor was being serious. He wouldn't be being so sincere if he wasn't...

Dreading the answer, Amy whispered, "what are we dealing with?"

"I can't know for sure, but I have a good idea... Amy, stay out of the shadows."

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me what you think is here?" Amy asked as they walked down the corridor.

"This is just a theory, but all evidence points to this. I think it's the Vashta Nerada."

"The _what?_"

"Vashta Nerada. The devoured skeletons, the darkened corridors... it all points to them."

"Well, what are they then?"

"Microscopic creatures. On their own, their not harmless. They are on earth, actually. You get them in dust clou- er..." The Doctor stopped talking at Amy's alarmed expression.

"Don't worry... they're completely harmless in small numbers. But when they create swarms... they can strip a creature to it's bones in less than a second. They live in the shadows."

Now Amy understood why the Doctor had been so serious earlier. Her previous confidence gone, she stepped closer to the Doctor and quickly took his hand. She felt safer when he was close.

"Oh, Amy, I didn't know you cared," The Doctor said, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"It's for me, idiot. I'm scared."

"I won't let anything happen to you." And in that moment, with the determination in his voice, Amy believed every word.

* * *

Clara opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. _Ah, this isn't so bad. Compared to some of the other places I've ended up, it's okay. _She was in a small yet sleek looking room on board what looked like a spaceship. On a small panel on the side of he room was a number of different controls. One of them had a speaking devise that you could speak into to communicate with other members on board. At the front of the room were a number of screens so that she could see into all of the rooms of the spaceship._ Well, they have certainly worked hard to find the right room for me._

Clara put her head in her hands. Why did this have to happen to her? She didn't want to participate in this.

Suddenly she felt her mind being scanned, like it was every time she landed in a new area.

Her memories were being taken, and in their place were new memories...

Clara felt like she had just woken up, as if from a dream. Who was she?

Suddenly, as if by magic, she knew.

_My name is Clara Oswald. This was the first time I have ever been on a spaceship. It was taken over by the Vashta Nerada. I am the last survivor. _

Clara looked at the screens...

There, in a room, were two people. She didn't recognise them, but felt like she had seen them before, somewhere...

_They must be more survivors! They're looking for me! I'm not the only one! _

She scrambled over to the speaking devise and quickly switched it on.

"Hello, my name is Clara Oswald. I'm a survivor. Can you hear me?"

* * *

"And then, I said... wait. What was that?" The Doctor stopped telling Amy about one of his adventures and listened.

He was sure he had heard a girl talking out of the speaker attached to the top of the room...

Sure enough, she repeated her words.

"Hello, my name is Clara Oswald. I'm a survivor. Can you hear me?"

_What?_

**Dun dun dun! What's happening with Clara? :o**

**I know that Amy met the Vashta Nerada in the Adventure Games, but I decided to just focus on the fact that in the actual show she hasn't met them.**

**I hope you enjoyed that! Please review! If you have already reviewed chapter 8 you will get a sneak peek for chapter 10 anyway, but you can still review if you like. I love feedback! :)**


	10. Chapter 10- Lights

**Chapter 10- Lights**

"But Doctor, how can that be Clara?" Amy whispered. The girl seemed to be following them wherever they went... but how? How could she not only find them each time, but also follow them into their dreams with the Dreamlord? And how could she have come back from the dead? She died on the Dalek Asylum... didn't she?

"I don't know. I _hate _not knowing." Usually Amy would come back with a witty comment, but right now she could sense the urgency. And, although she wouldn't admit it, she was curious too. She couldn't help it. Everywhere they went Clara seemed to be there too. How could that happen?

"Well... are we going to find her?"

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair, with a thoughtful yet frustrated look on his face.

"I suppose so... I mean, we don't really have a choice. We can't just leave her. It could be a trap, but... what choice do we have?"

They continued to walk through the spaceship in silence. There was nothing to say. All of their chatty banter had somehow disappeared, leaving an awkward silence between them. The Doctor was clearly lost in his thoughts, trying to figure out what was going on, so Amy didn't want to disturb him.

Amy tried to stay clear of the shadows. Occasionally they would come across a skeleton slumped on the floor, clearly a fresh kill. Amy tried not to be too unnerved about it... after all, they had a job to do...

_That could be me in a matter of seconds... _

She felt herself move closer to the Doctor. _I'll be fine as long as he's with me..._

"Hello? I'm in a sort of... small room. It's got controls and things." Amy jolted with shock as Clara's voice rang out of a nearby speaker. Being in a darkened spaceship with dead skeletons could really put you on your guard...

"Amy? Are you okay?" As always his concerns were always for her. No matter what situation they were in, she always seemed to be his top priority. Even more so since... since what happened with Rory. Amy felt her skin pale.

"I'm... I'm fine," she managed to choke out, but he could sense her distress.

"Amy, we can go back..."

"I said I'm fine," she said, a little harsher then intended. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to snap... I just... Rory..." Understanding filled the Doctor's features. She was still fragile, still not over him... maybe she never would be.

"It's okay, Pond. So, Clara," he said, turning his attention towards the speaker. "Do you know roughly where you are?"

"Hang on... just getting up a map... ah! It's quite close. You're going to have to travel through quite a few tunnels, but it's not far."

"Why can't you just come to us?"

"I have to be here to tell you the way. If I go to find _you _I would have to remember the route off by heart. Believe it or not, my memory isn't as genius as my brain power." The Doctor sighed.

"Come on then, Amy."

* * *

"Okay, so, just down this corridor... and then turn left. Be careful, I'm getting all sorts of readings... this place is ridden with Vashta." Luckily the speakers seemed to be everywhere, so they could keep in touch with Clara easily.

"Keep close to me, Amy. Stay out of the shadows."

"Doctor, how did the Vashta get here?"

"Well, they actually come from trees. They could have come from the library of this ship... maybe the books were made from those trees."

"What if this isn't Clara? I mean, our meetings with her haven't been very reliable so far..." Amy lowered her voice to make sure Clara wasn't listening.

"I don't know... but we have to take that risk. We can't just leave her." Amy nodded.

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry... we'll work it out," she whispered, taking his hand. Whatever happened, they always had each other.

The Doctor smiled softly at her. She had a new maturity about her. He had first begun to notice it at the Asylum, but from then on it had seemed to grow even more. After everything she had been through, it would be impossible not to be like this. She was still his Amy, just... he couldn't put his finger on it. Where there was once a wild child-like nature was now a caring, thoughtful person. She still had her feisty attitude, she had just... grown.

Was this a product of all of the terrible things she had been through? Maybe. Probably. Losing Rory had made her more guarded, less happy...

He could feel his smile slowly vanishing. She might still be happy if he hadn't ruined her life...

"Doctor, are you okay?" His head shot up.

"Are you happy, Amy?" The soft words escaped his lips before he could stop them. Her expression was taken aback.

"Well... I..." she stumbled over her words. Her eyes lifted to meet his. In her eyes he could see her begging to understand, how she didn't want to hurt him.

"You know I'm not completely happy... how could I be, after what has happened? But, I... you bring me happiness. Doctor... you know what you mean to me. You know that when you're around, I can never be _completely _sad." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then turned around so that what happened the last time she did that wouldn't happen again.

_Well, what did you expect her to say? That merely your presence makes everything okay? It's Rory she loves, not you..._ The Dream Lord taunted him.

"Of course she loves Rory. I wouldn't have it any other way. I just want her to be happy, that's all," he whispered to the voice.

_Well, I think that's the biggest lie you've ever told... I know where you're heart truly lies, even if you don't. Although, you did seem to admit it when we were in Barcelona..._

"I... that was a moment of weakness. She was dying, I was desperate... My grief clouded my judgement. That's all."

_I know what's in your heart. And, even if you won't admit it, I think you do too. You're just embarrassed about what you admitted to yourself on Barcelona. You're trying to pretend it never happened. All that time you spent with her, it's been slowly building up... your feelings... What about River? Are you that fickle?_

"No! I love her! She's my wife."

_Right..._

"Come on." the Doctor jumped at Amy's voice. "Clara's waiting."

* * *

"Through there, that's it..." they continued walking through the corridors.

It was hard walking through areas of the spaceship, knowing that any minute the lights could turn off, and...

Clara was controlling the lights. It added a bit of security, but not much. After all, what was a light when the Vashta Nerada could turn it off any second?

The Doctor halted.

"Where next?"

"Through the right corridor, and..." Nobody missed the flickering of the lights.

"I don't know what's happening, I can't control it... run!" Clara shouted through the speaker.

They didn't need to be told. The Doctor grabbed Amy's hand and pulled her in whatever direction they were facing in. The lights were turning off one by one, slowly moving towards where they were...

There was not escape. The fact that they weren't even being chased by anything physical made it even more scary. The Vashta Nerada could be anywhere, and they wouldn't know...

Amy could barely think. All there was was the instinct to run, and the fear of being caught. Damn the human body for being so slow! Why couldn't she run faster? She willed her legs to move quicker, just that bit quicker to give her the knowledge that she was that bit ahead of the shadows...

Suddenly, the lights turned back on.

_What? _

"Doctor... Doctor, why would they do that? They could have caught us..." her voice trailed off at the Doctor's expression. His eyes were wide and desperate, and... terrified.

"Amy," he whispered. "Amy, you've got two shadows."

**Dun dun dun! :O I hope you enjoyed that chapter! **

**Review to get a sneak peek! I love feedback :) But if you don't want a sneak peek, you can just say in your review :) **


	11. Chapter 11- Obviously

**Chapter 11- Obviously**

**So, here's the next chapter! **

**I noticed there were a few spelling mistakes in past chapters, so I've corrected them. I've learnt a lesson: proof read better! :)**

**Anyway... here it is! **

Before she even understood what his words really meant for her, fear shot through her. It was the way he said it, the look in his eyes...

"What does that mean?" she whispered.

"Er..." he said as if broken from his train of thought. He sounded devastated, as if he didn't want to explain it. As if it wasn't happening. "They use the double shadow to creep up on their victims."

Fear turned to panic. She was going to end up like those skeletons she saw in the hall. _No... _

_Keep calm. The Doctor will fix it. I know he will._ Except some things he couldn't fix. She had learnt that the hard way, with Rory. It wasn't his fault. Even the most brilliant people couldn't do everything...

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" she whispered. "Doctor, it's not your fault..."

"Sshh. I'm thinking." Amy's mouth shut. _Maybe he'll think of something..._

"I need to find a way to talk to the Vashta. Maybe I can reason with them... offer them something. Anything." Amy almost felt sorry for him. She would do if she wasn't paralysed with fear.

It wasn't going to work. _Reason with them? That's ridiculous! _But she went along with it for the Doctor's sake. He was clearly holding on to the last possibility, and, unlikely as it was, she needed to go along with it for him. Otherwise she was afraid of what sort of state he might get into.

And what did they have to lose?

* * *

He couldn't lose Amy.

Not after everything that had happened. If she died, it would be his fault. If he hadn't stopped her from going with Rory, she would be perfectly safe...

So why, after all this, could he still not bring himself to _completely_ regret his decision?

He was selfish. He wanted her all to himself. She was the light in his darkness, the strength when he felt weak.

And then there were those feelings.

The love he felt when he looked at her, the warmth he felt when she touched him... How desperate he was when she nearly left him. How, try as he might, he kept going back to her. How he couldn't leave her be.

There was one conclusion. Something he had been hiding from since he had first got a sense of what she really meant to him.

There was no point in denying it any more. He had to admit it to himself. He had to face the truth.

He was in love with Amy Pond.

* * *

"Right, okay... Vashta! I know you can hear me. Use the speaker. You used the data chips to talk to me, so use the speaker. It will have a record of any recent speeches. Use Clara's voice to communicate with me."

They waited for what was a painfully long time. Amy begun to wonder if the Doctor even knew what he was talking about. Did he actually have any idea of what he was dealing with? Or was he just so desperate that he was holding on to even the slightest chance? Could the Vashta even talk?

As time slipped by, Amy became more and more aware that any second could be her last. She had been waiting there with the double shadow for a long time. What was the likelihood that she had any time left?

Yet, after a few minutes, Clara's voice came out of the speaker. It sounded like Clara, but Amy knew better.

"What do you want, Doctor?" it said in a zombie like fashion.

"Please. Spare Amy's life. Please."

"Why should we?" _Yes, why should they? _Amy's hope was slowly vanishing.

"If she dies, I won't have anything. Please. Grant me this one wish." Despite the situation, Amy felt warmth flood through her. The sincerity of his speech was touching. He really cared about her that much? She really was all he had?

"She is our meat."

"Don't talk about her like that!" Amy was stunned by how he shouted, how angry that simple sentence had made him. _He cares about me so much... He loves me so much... _

Her boys. Did she really deserve to be loved so much by not only one, but two men? Both in different ways, obviously. Obviously the Doctor didn't love her in the way Rory did.

Obviously.

She had never really thought about it, never really given it much consideration, yet here he was, looking desperate at the thought of losing her. Looking like if she died, he would have nothing else left to live for.

Her Raggedy man.

She had to live. Not only for herself, but for him. He needed someone there.

How terrified he looked... as terrified as her...

She realised how she was staring at him and averted her gaze.

She loved him so much. Obviously not in the way that she loved Rory.

Obviously.

* * *

"We are not kind. We care not for compassion. Why should we let her live? Give us a valid reason."

The Doctor could feel his hope slowly slipping away. This wasn't going to work. She was going to die. She was going to die...

_No... Please..._

That couldn't happen.

"Amy is... important." It was pathetic. He knew that. A pathetic response. How was that ever going to stop them?

They waited. By the speaker, they waited. It felt like an eternity.

Finally, Amy moved towards the Doctor. Her arms were just about to move to his neck for one last hug, when...

She stopped. Why would she stop?

"Amy... why are you moving away?" He whispered. "Come here."

"No. If I hug you, you'll just get captured too."

"I don't care." He knew how reckless he sounded, but it was true, he was beyond caring about what happened to him. All he could think of was Amy.

"No. You'll be in my shadow. They'll be able to creep up on you too."

"Please..."

"_I _care. Don't die for me, Doctor. Especially when it's something as silly as dying just because you hugged me. That's ridiculous."

"Amy... Don't you get it? I... without you, I'm just... I don't know. I couldn't cope. The grief would be too great..." His voice broke at the end. _This wasn't happening. _

Tears blurred his eyes. The universe had it out for him.

How many times had he saved the universe? Why wasn't he ever aloud to be happy? To be selfish? To have one thing that kept him sane...

"Please. If not for you, then for me. I need comfort." He just wanted to be in her arms.

"No. Do you have any idea of what you mean to me? If you died... for something as pointless as this..." She stumbled over her words.

"Do _you _have any idea of what you mean to _me_?" He whispered. It was a stupid question. Of course she didn't. How could she know the true extent of his feelings for her?

She was silent. He saw the questioning look in her eyes, and... was there something else there too? Longing? No. No, of course not...

Obviously she didn't feel that way about him. Why would she?

He wished he knew what she was thinking...

It didn't matter, anyway. She was dying, and it was his fault. Everything else beyond that was irrelevant.

She just had to live.

He had just about given up hope when Clara's voice- although he knew it wasn't her speaking- came through the speaker.

"We will spare Amelia Pond."

Joy flooded though him. _Yes! Yes! Yes! _Amy was alive. He saw the shadows disappearing...

_But why? _

"Why?" he asked. He didn't want to push it, but it just seemed too good to be true...

"This you will know soon enough."

_What? _He sighed. Oh well. It didn't matter.

Amy was safe. She was standing next to him, alive and well. The double shadow had gone. She looked as confused as he was, but that didn't matter.

Why the Vashta had let Amy live was a question for another day. Right now, it didn't matter. He couldn't care less. Someday, he would find out. But not today.

He still had his Pond. Against all odds, he still had his Pond.

Today, that was all that mattered.

**I really appreciate reviews, and if you do I'll send you a sneak peek for the next chapter :)**


	12. Chapter 12- Human

**Chapter 12- Human**

"So, Clara... I suppose we have to try and get you out of here," the Doctor said.

"Wow, how observant of you," she said sarcastically. Amy giggled. She almost couldn't wait to meet her; it would be nice to talk to someone from earth. _At least, I think she's from earth... _She hadn't really had the chance to speak to any other human since Rory... left...

"So... Where next?" He asked her.

"Er... through there... The door to the right."

"Clara, I nearly lost Amy, and I'm not risking that again. Are we close?"

"Yes, don't worry."

The Doctor spoke about Amy with such protectiveness in his voice, and she was reminded of the longing she had felt before when he had asked her if she knew what she meant to him. _Don't think of it. Not right now... Later. Think of it later, when your not in any danger._

They continued walking through the spaceship, navigating through the twisting corridors and darkened rooms, following Clara's direction, avoiding the shadows...

Why would the Vashta spare her life? It was so confusing... Amy was happy to be alive, of course... But why _was _she alive? The Doctor didn't seem so concerned, for some reason...

"Doctor! I'm detecting life forms near here. If I were you I'd be quick... I know they spared Amy before, but we can't be one hundred percent sure that they'll do it again. Hurry."

Amy clasped the Doctor's hand at all times. It was stupid, she knew... but she felt safer, more secure. And, even if she knew he would never admit it, she was sure he did too.

"Okay, nearly there... Right. Just go through that corridor to the left and you'll find me."

Before they knew it, they were at the door. She couldn't help but grin as the Doctor squeezed her hand and gave her his heart warming smile.

"Just a few minutes, and we'll be back in the TARDIS," he whispered. Amy nodded.

She couldn't help but feel happy in that moment. _They_ _were in this together... _

There wasn't time for anything else.

One, two, three...

They pushed the door.

"Hey, Cla-" Amy stopped short and let out a horrified gasp.

Sitting at the control was a modern, sleek looking robot.

* * *

Clara sat there.

What were they looking at? Why did they look so horrified? Discomfort flooded through her and she felt uneasy. Was something wrong...?

"Why have you stopped? Come on..." Still, they just stood there.

"Clara, I am so sorry..."

What? What was he talking about? She felt fear build up in the pit of her stomach. This didn't sound good...

"You..." he sighed as if there was no easy way that he could say it. "You are... a robot. Looks like a simple one, from earth's future, maybe... I'm sorry."

There he was, talking like she wasn't real. Like she was a product that you could buy from the shops.

Confusion was the first emotion, then...

No. No, he had to be wrong. What was he saying?

"I'm not... I'm _human!_"

"I'm sorry..."

It was all happening so fast, in a blur... as if it wasn't real.

What was happening? She felt tears forming in her eyes and she just wanted to curl up, to shut herself away from the rest of the world, to not believe what he was saying to her...

She felt the fear growing, getting stronger and stronger, like a parasite feeding off it's victim. She felt sick. _This _was sick. This whole thing. It wasn't real. It was just... _sick_...

Who was she?

She was Clara Oswin Oswald. Anything else was untrue. She had feelings. She had emotions. She cared about people. She helped people. She could think. She could talk. She had free will.

She _was _human.

Clara pushed away any negative feelings or emotions in that moment. Whatever had been done to her, she _was _human, and she knew what she had to do.

"Then run."

"Clara... I will fix this..."

"My name is Clara Oswin Oswald. I have memories. I have feelings. I have free will. I _am _human."

"I know."

"Run, you clever boy," she whispered, with the tears still shining in her eyes. "And remember."

* * *

The Doctor didn't need telling twice. He took Amy's hand and fled.

It took a while to get Amy to move; she was so stunned with what she had just witnessed. What had been done to Clara? Was she okay? They couldn't just leave her behind...

"Doctor! _What _is going on? Explain."

"I don't know... But I will find out. Those words... they were the same words she said to me on the Asylum when she let me go. Something is happening. I don't know what it is, but believe me, anyone who thinks they are capable of playing games with me is very stupid. And not just me, either. Her. They're playing games with her. I hope they haven't hurt her..." he trailed off.

"I know... I hope she's okay... but, remember, we've seen her before. She's died twice, and yet we've seen her again. Maybe she's not actually dead," Amy said between pants. They were running so fast it was hard to talk.

Her Raggedy man. He was so caring, so kind... even to someone he had never properly met. Always trying to do what was best...

Suddenly her thoughts were not of the present, but again of the moment the Doctor had asked her if she knew how much she meant to him. That moment seemed significant somehow, full of warmth and... confusion. Yes, confusion. She couldn't say she understood what he meant...

There was that longing that she had felt, the feeling that had come so suddenly, without warning; the longing for him to mean...

She shook it from her head before she could think about it any more. _Later,_ she promised herself. Later she would think about it. But not now. Not while they were running down a corridor.

He wasn't the only one worried about Clara... Amy was still recovering from the shock of seeing her as a robot. She had come to like Clara, and seeing her like that was awful... Was she okay? What had they done to her? And who exactly was _they? _

They ran into the TARDIS and shut the door.

* * *

The Doctor sat by the console, running his hand through his hair. Amy had long since gone to bed.

Amy. She had been through so much stress lately, and now this... it was awful to see Clara as a robot, especially after getting to know her a bit. Clara's distress had been heartbreaking.

What was happening? He was sure he had never come across anything like this before...

He _would _sort this out. He would.

**The plot thickens! :) **

**I know that when Clara has tears in her eyes it is actually not possible considering she's a robot, but I was telling it from her point of view, and in _Asylum Of The Daleks _she can be seen crying... so it's sort of what she feels. **

**The next chapter will be focusing more on the 11/Amy romance, and it's longer. **

**Review to get a sneak peek of the next chapter! I really appreciate reviews :)**


	13. Chapter 13- Heartache

**Chapter 13- Heartache**

**So... at the moment, updates are quicker, as I'm ahead of the game! :) I've already got the next couple of chapters written, and I'm writing the chapter after that now.**

"_No. Do you have any idea of what you mean to me? If you died... for something as pointless as this..." _

"_Do _you_ have any idea of what you mean to _me_?" _

Amy lay in her bed, thinking over the conversation they had had on the ship. She didn't know why, but somehow she just couldn't get it out of her head. The way he had said it... it was soft, and meaningful...

And what about what she had said? "_Do you have any idea of what you mean to me? If you died... for something as pointless as this..." _She remembered how the words had slipped out, how she had stumbled over them... how special and warm the moment had felt, despite the situation. She had just been trying to make the Doctor understand that he couldn't die for her, but then... she had felt something. _Do you have any idea of what you mean to me? _The words had seemed completely innocent, but as they had escaped her lips it was like they held more meaning than they were ever meant too...

Amy remembered how his reply had sent questions flooding through her head. The tender way he had whispered it, the sorrow he had in his eyes, like he knew there was no way she would ever understand...

And then there was what she had felt when he spoke them. She couldn't deny that suddenly there was longing, so much longing... to be close to him. To be in his arms... to be loved by him, for his words to have meant something more than just friendship...

No. No. No.

This was _not _going to happen. She loved Rory. She would not betray him like this. Not when he was all alone, when he was stuck in some unfamiliar timeline.

Anyway, it wasn't like it was even possible. Even if the Doctor did feel that way for her, which he probably didn't, it couldn't happen. For starters, there was the obvious problem. He wouldn't grow old.

Why was she even thinking about the problems? It wasn't right. It wouldn't happen. Rory was the only one for her.

_Why does everything have to be so complicated? _Amy felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. Why did she have to have these feelings? It was bad enough to have Rory taken from her. She loved Rory, so much... Now she was alone, and so was he...

_What was he doing, right now? He'd be... what? In bed? _All on his own...

And here she was, betraying him. Thinking about her possible feelings for someone else.

The tears were released, and she lay sobbing on her pillow. She wanted Rory to be there, to stop this madness. She could lie in his arms, feel safe...

There was also a small, niggling feeling that she also wanted the Doctor to be there, for her to be in _his_ arms...

She hated herself.

* * *

The Doctor sat underneath the console, on his swingy-chair, wearing some cool looking safety goggles.

Well, in his opinion they were cool. Amy said they looked stupid.

_Amy... _he could hear her sobbing. Sound carried in the TARDIS. It was awful, hearing her in so much pain.

He wanted to go to her, to tell her it was all right... but he couldn't. He didn't know what it was about, but he could certainly guess. It was always about the same thing.

Rory.

How he wanted to put his arms around her, to tell her it was okay... To whisper sweet words in her ear, until she fell asleep.

He couldn't. Why? Because there was no point in pretending. He couldn't tell her that it was okay when it wasn't. He couldn't face the sorrow _he _had created.

He looked back down to the wires he was connecting, but somehow they didn't seem as important any more.

After a few minutes, he heard footsteps coming towards him. They went to the console, down the stairs, to him...

Amy.

There he was, too much of a coward to go to her, when she needed him most. He felt so ashamed...

Now she had come to him.

* * *

Wordlessly, Amy sat down on the stairs where the Doctor was working. She had done her best to wipe the tears from her cheeks, and she was wearing her nightie.

She remembered how she had sat in that exact same spot with Rory, after the TARDIS had left Idris' body. Now he was gone.

She remembered how she had felt that odd surge of jealousy, how she had commented on how even after the rest of them had gone, he would always have his TARDIS...

Great. So, even before Rory had left, she had unconsciously been being unfaithful in her thoughts. Yes, maybe unfaithful was an overstatement, but still... She couldn't deny that she hadn't always thought of the Doctor as just a friend...

_I wish I had appreciated Rory more..._

Amy's eyes found the floor and they stayed there for a while. Her cheeks burned with shame. Embarrassment wasn't a feeling she felt often.

It was hard to look at the Doctor, now that she had thought about her feelings. She knew that there was no way that he could possibly know about what she had been thinking of, but all the same...

"Hey, Pond," he whispered.

She forced herself to meet his gaze.

"Have you been thinking of... _him _again?" he asked.

_That's only half of it, _she thought to herself. But there was no way that she could ever tell him of the feelings that she had been getting recently. He was her best friend. There was no way he felt that way for her... Did he? His words before made her think that maybe...

No. No, of course not. He was an alien. He didn't feel that for her. And even if he did, there was no way, _no way, _that she would betray Rory like that. She loved Rory, and that was it. Rory was her husband. It wasn't okay to move on that fast. She would never start another relationship, not while Rory was all alone. She still loved him, with all her heart...

_Things just_ had _to be complicated. _Why did she have to feel these things for the Doctor?

"Um, yeah..." It wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the _whole _truth.

"Ah, Pond..." he sighed.

"How do you..." No. She shouldn't ask him that. She didn't want to reawaken any old memories...

"What?" he said softly. "You can ask me, don't worry..."

"How do you... How do you cope?" She held her breath. _Please don't let this hurt him..._

"How do I cope with what?" he asked.

_Oh, no... I shouldn't have... _"How do you... cope with..." _No turning back now... _"...everyone you have lost? What do you do to... not be... you know... sad... all the time?" She stumbled over her words.

She saw the pained look on his face, and wanted to run away and hide. _This was so selfish of you, Amy... Why did you ask him this? _

She had just wanted to know how he managed to cope with his losses, so that she could try the same thing...

But now she had caused him grief.

"You don't have to answer..."

"It's... okay. I just... don't look back," he whispered, looking ashamed. "I can't... face everything... that's happened... especially since most of it's my fault."

"That's not true..."

"It is. I killed my people..."

"You had to... to save everyone else. It was a choice you had to make... I admire that you had the strength to make it," she whispered.

"What about Rory?" He asked, his voice raising now. "It was my fault! And now it's my fault that you're in this state!" he was almost shouting now...

Talking about Rory so openly made Amy want to cry, but she knew that she had to keep going. She needed to reassure him...

"Don't you dare say that to me! It was _not _your fault." Her voice was raised now too, but with urgency. She was begging him to understand.

"I brought you here with me."

"Are you saying you _regret _taking me with you?" she whispered softly. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes.

"I could _never _regret taking _you _with me. That's the problem." His anger seemed to have vanished, and in it's place was a despairing sorrow. Amy wasn't sure what was worse.

"How could that be a problem...?"

"Because I _should. _If I were decent, I would. But I don't... If I were decent, I wouldn't still not be able to regret bringing you with me... I'm selfish. I think only of myself... Remember when I stopped you from going with Rory? That was all for me. You probably would have been happier with him, but I still... All because I..."

She couldn't help it. She had to ask.

"All because you what...?"

"Nothing..." he murmured, looking at the floor. Although she wanted to know what he was about to say, Amy knew better than to press him for answers.

"It's not your fault... I chose to come. And as for the thing about not regretting... I don't want you to regret. I would never want you to regret taking me with you, now that you're all I have..." she whispered.

Before even realising it, she was in his arms. They stayed there for a while, caught in one of those Amy-Doctor moments only the two of them shared. Amy closed her eyes and savoured the moment.

It had to end at some point.

"Goodnight, Doctor," she whispered. "Oh, and please don't blame yourself. You need to stop doing that."

"I don't know if I can, Amy..."

"That's my one request. For you to at least try. Promise me."

He looked into her eyes. "I promise."

Amy tiptoed to bed.

As she tucked herself in, she was left wondering what he was going to say when he didn't finish his sentence.

"_Because I should. If I were decent, I would. But I don't... If I were decent, I wouldn't still not be able to regret bringing me with you... I'm selfish. I think only of myself... Remember when I stopped you from going with Rory? That was all for me. You probably would have been happier with him, but I still... All because I..."_

How was that sentence going to end?

* * *

The Doctor was sitting by the console, twiddling his thumbs and thinking about earlier.

For the first time in a long time, he felt _loved. _Obviously he always felt loved, but this was different. It was a long time since he had had such a heartfelt conversation with someone.

But not just anyone.

Amy.

Even through everything, they always had each other.

He had almost told her he loved her earlier. He needed to be more careful with his words.

He knew that one day he would lose her. He didn't age...

The TARDIS screen turning on stopped his train of thought.

As he looked at the screen, he saw her.

It was the girl. The same girl that they kept seeing. Clara...

He knew what she looked like from the last time she had appeared on the screen. She looked scared... _terrified..._

What was going on?

"Doctor, help me." _How? _

His question was answered before he could even ask it. Co-ordinates flashed up on the screen.

Should he go? Was it safe? It could be a trap...

But as he stared at her terrified face, he already knew the answer.

**So, Amy's realised that she has feelings for the Doctor and the Doctor _almost _told her he loved her!**

**Oh. My. Gosh. Did anyone else want the Doctor to tell Amy he loved her when he didn't finish his sentence? I know I did... **

**When I was writing this, I _really _wanted to make the Doctor tell her in that scene! But I couldn't, because I've already planned out what is going to happen! **

**I think this is the longest chapter so far...**

**I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter :). If you do I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter to say thanks! **


	14. Chapter 14- Come On, Doctor

**Chapter 14- Come On, Doctor**

"Morning, Pond," The Doctor said to Amy, as she chewed on her maple syrup pancake. Okay, maybe not the healthiest choice, but it was a necessary indulgence. She had added a couple of strawberries so that she could _pretend, _for her own sake, that she was being healthy.

She had made one for the Doctor, but he had politely rejected it, trading it in for a fish-custard breakfast.

"Morning," she said, looking down. She still felt uncomfortable about her feelings, and was feeling unusually awkward. If he knew how she felt he would probably think badly of her for moving on from Rory so quickly.

Of course, that wasn't the case. She hadn't gotten over Rory... she loved him. She just couldn't ignore the way she felt about the Doctor...

The thought of Rory sent fresh pain flooding through her, and she desperately tried to smother it. _Don't do this now. Don't have a breakdown at the breakfast table..._

Whatever she was feeling, she hid it with a false but effective smile. Amy forced herself to look at the Doctor in the eye. There was no way he could know about her feelings, but if she kept acting so awkwardly he might suspect something was up.

"So... what are we doing today?" She asked, shoving the last piece of pancake in her mouth.

"Urgh... Why do humans have such peculiar taste? Syrup on pancake? That's... that's just... urgh. Repulsive." Amy couldn't help but snigger.

"You can talk. Fish and custard are two foods that were _never _meant to meet. It's like... like eating a chocolate cake with baked beans or chicken with chocolate sauce, or..."

"Ooh! I've tried both of them. De-_li_-cious!" Amy didn't even bother to think of a comeback for that. She should have known. Rolling her eyes, she tried to bring the conversation back to where it was _supposed _to be.

"Now, are you going to answer my question?" For some reason, he looked embarrassed, awkward... as if he didn't want to tell her.

"Doctor, whatever you want to do, I'm fine with-"

"I received another message from Soufflé Girl yesterday," he cut her off. "She sent co-ordinates."

Amy dropped the fork onto her plate in surprise. It wasn't that she didn't want to go... she _did. _She wanted to save Clara... But what if it was another trap? She knew how dangerous it could be...

She masked her worry with an excited expression. She was Amy Pond, and any feeling of fear was _not _something that made it to her face.

"Great! This means we can finally save her, and find out more about who's behind this."

"Amy... this could potentially be _very _dangerous. Think about it... We don't know who will be there, we don't know where it is..."

"Since when did _you _worry so much about setting off for an adventure?" she joked. "You're always the one who goes to the place first and does environment checks later."

"Since I had you to look after," he whispered, suddenly finding his fish-custard very interesting.

"I... can look after myself," she whispered, following his lead and averting her gaze.

"I'm the Time Lord, you're the Human, you are automatically in my care."

Since when did he get so responsible? He never used to be like this before...

Oh.

"Doctor..." this was delicate. "I know that... since I nearly got touched by the... you know, Weeping Angels... you've been quite protective. But... you can't protect me from everything. We can't leave Clara because you're worried that something will happen to me," she murmured, looking deeply into his eyes.

"I know," he sighed. "Of course, I know... but I just... can't lose you. You're all I have, well... apart from River, of course, I mean... I didn't mean... I've got River, too, obviously..." he said, with a flustered voice.

"I know. You're now all I have... apart from River. But we have to do this," she said. "Now, finish your fish-custard and then... I guess we'll be off," she said abruptly, standing up and trying to mask her longing with a bossy, clipped tone. His caring, soft way of speaking to her this morning had left Amy wanting what could never be...

No. _Forget it, Amy. _

"Amy, wait..."

"C'mon, Doctor. We can't leave her there. Who knows what they're doing to her? We _have _to save her."

She saw the corners of the Doctor's mouth twitch.

Come on... She knew that he cared about Clara, and wouldn't want to see her come to any harm...

She knew how much he loved adventure, and, even though he was trying to hide it, how badly he wanted to go and figure out the mystery, even if he was worried about her...

She knew he loved it when she wanted to do something as much as he did...

Come on...

His mouth finally spread out into the endearing grin that only he could pull off. _Yes! _

"Come on, Doctor," she said, running to the console. Maybe an adventure was _just _what she needed to take her mind off of everything... after all, when you're running from an alien there's never much time to be thinking about your personal problems...

* * *

"Right, so... I'm just following the co-ordinates! Come on, old girl, you can do this, yep, there we go..." Amy knew better than to interrupt the Doctor's banter with his TARDIS. She wondered if the TARDIS actually replied... did she speak to the Doctor in his mind through hums and odd sounds? This was something Amy had never thought of before...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the jolt of the TARDIS.

"Woah, Amy, hold on, this may be a bumpy ri-" The Doctor's speech was cut off by another jolt. He tried to speak to her again, but the unpredictable movements of the TARDIS were making that difficult. The clatter of various bits and pieces rolling around in the TARDIS was making it impossible to hear him anyway, so Amy just hung on to the handle bar and hoped whatever he was attempting to mutter to her wasn't that important.

Amy occasionally let out small squeaks or squeals of alarm as different, alien looking artefacts fell from corridors leading to the rooms.

"Er... well... Oh no! No, that was from Clom..." She just managed to catch some of his words before they were thrown again.

"Doctor, _what _is happening?" she screamed above all of the noise.

"Well... this is the TARDIS' way of telling us _not _to go. Amy, if you want to turn back, we can figure out another way of rescuing Clara..."

"Don't even _think _about it, Raggedy Man," she grumbled, as they clung on to the console for dear life.

The console itself was constantly turning the other way, moving and shaking until Amy felt dizzy...

Finally, they landed, and all was still.

The Doctor moved towards the door, touched the lock, and slowly turned it so that the door opened...

**Ooh! Bit of a cliffhanger there, I'm afraid! :) Sorry, guys. :) **

**If you review I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter to say thanks :)**


	15. Chapter 15- Clara

**Chapter 15- Clara**

Previously:

Finally, they landed, and all was still.

The Doctor moved towards the door, touched the lock, and slowly turned it so that the door opened...

* * *

The world beyond the TARDIS door was not one Amy would visit by choice. The co-ordinates had brought them to a large, dark, dusty room. It was pitch black and various cables hung from the ceiling. The room went on for ages, and Amy couldn't see the end. She couldn't tell if this was because it was dark or because it was huge. Various bits and pieces of things that she couldn't make out were scattered around the floor, contributing to the vibe that it was abandoned. Bits of machinery could be seen pushed to the side of the room.

"Well, this looks... interesting," the Doctor remarked, stepping out into the room.

"Yeah... Still, beats hiding under King Henry the eight's bed. _You _sneezed," she joked.

"Yes, well, when you've gotta sneeze you've gotta sneeze. Anyway, I wasn't the one who agreed to marry him."

"By mistake!" she sighed, sensing defeat. "Point taken. Come on, then. Let's find her. I don't want to have to spend any more time in this place than absolutely necessary."

"The feeling's mutual, Pond." They walked down the never ending room, taking care to step over the objects on the floor.

The time passed painfully slowly. They were both nervous and on-edge; noticing every little piece of information that they came across, searching for any hidden traps...

Finally, they came to the end of the room.

"Okay... so, where next?" Amy asked, taking the Doctor's hand for support. There was no way she would let on that she was scared, but she figured this small gesture wouldn't matter; and she knew, even if he would _never _admit it, that he liked it too.

"You choose, Pond." Amy scanned for the least dark looking door, and eventually picked a wide open tunnel that appeared to be leading down somewhere. It looked like the type of place someone might be hiding out.

They walked in silence. There was nothing to say. The ceiling of the tunnel was damp and the occasional drop of water fell. As they went further down, the tunnel became increasingly narrow. Amy was starting to feel claustrophobic.

"This is underground, isn't it?"

"Yep."

It went on like that for a while; the occasional question breaking the silence. They were both too nervous to talk much. Who knew what they would find down there? There could be a trap waiting at any point...

"Amy," she was stopped by the Doctor whispering in a hushed voice. She took the hint and made a mental note to not be too loud. "Turn around and _look._"

Amy slowly turned.

There was a small doorway leading into a medium sized room. She could see straight into it because the door was open.

Inside, sitting on a chair, was Clara.

Clara!

There wasn't anything menacing about the way she was positioned. Amy didn't know what she had expected, maybe for Clara to be tied up or something, but that certainly wasn't the case. Instead she sat on a plastic, dusty chair and stared at the floor. She sat hunched over, as if she didn't want to meet their gaze...

The room was just as unwelcoming as the rest of the place. At the side of the room there was a large, stretcher-like machine. It was clearly build for a person to lie on it, and it reminded Amy of the machines the people at Morpeth Jetson put themselves on to create their gangers. This one, however, had buckles to strap the person in, seemed less professional, even less sleek and obviously was meant for a different purpose.

They had found Clara. Amy felt unusually awkward... what were they meant to do now that they were there? They couldn't just walk in... could they? Where were the people who had captured her in the first place?

"Doctor, Clara-" Amy started.

"Sshh."

"Hmm. How very wise, Doctor. In the circumstances, it would be best not to talk."

Amy froze with fear. That was obviously not the Doctor speaking, and it wasn't Clara either. It was a male voice that came from behind her and whoever it was spoke in a hushed, soft yet terrifying tone. Even from simply hearing their voice, it was like there was an unspoken threat there. How long had he been standing there?

She felt the Doctor take her hand.

"Oh, and the Doctor's lovely companion. Yes, he always has one of those, doesn't he? Quite an eye for the ladies too, I must say." Anger flooded through Amy and before she could think better of it, she spun around.

"Oi, who are you calling 'lovely'?" The man in front of her was tall and pale, with thin hair and paper-thin skin.

Amy didn't know what it was exactly, but something about him made her want to hide in a hole, to cower... Maybe it was the almost threatening yet soft smile on his face, or the way he stayed silent for ages; so long that Amy felt embarrassed and almost like _she_ was in the wrong, just for not speaking.

"Leave her _alone._" This was the Doctor speaking. Amy had almost forgotten he was there; she had been so caught up in trying to unsuccessfully intimidate the man. She was reminded that the Doctor was there, and she instantly felt a warm relief flood through her. He was _here. _Suddenly, now that she knew he was at her side, everything felt okay. It felt _right. _

The tone in the Doctor's voice was cold and protective.

Still, the man was silent. After what seemed like ages, he finally bowed.

"I can see that she... means a lot to you," he smirked. "You hide it well, but we both know where your heart truly is, don't we, Doctor? I don't think you've told anyone about the full extent of your feelings." Amy glanced at the Doctor. His cheeks were flushed and he looked flustered.

"_She _has a name. It's _Amy_, for your _information_," she spat. "Next time, don't talk about me like I'm your favourite _pet_."

"I do apologise, Amy. I didn't mean to make you feel... uncomfortable. I was just having a small conversation with the Doctor," he smiled. "I was merely talking to him about what he has been hiding from you." Before she could reply, the Doctor quickly intervened.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, straight to the point. Yes, I like that."

"I said, _who are you_?"

"Hmm. I'd prefer not to give out personal information, thank you."

"What's going to happen next?" the Doctor asked.

"Well... You're going to come with me."

* * *

The Doctor sat by the machine, fiddling with wires and examining the way it worked. It was the same machine that they had seen before, the stretcher-like one that was obviously made for a person. Apparently, Clara had been strapped to it many times. It was how they had got her to follow them wherever they went.

"Ah... there we go," he said. "It transmits your-"

"It transmits my personality, feelings, emotions, my soul... basically _me_, to a robot miles away. Physically I'm still here, but mentally I'm in that robot," she cut him off. "When I get there, my memories are wiped, and replaced with new memories, like when I was on the Asylum I thought I was a Junior Entertainment Manager. I always think I'm human... and I always end up dying. When I die, I wake up here... and I'm back to normal, but I remember all of it... the pain, the suffering... all of it." She paused. "I've already examined it. I found out how it works."

The Doctor nodded. Clara _was _a genius, like she said she was, so it was no wonder that whilst she was locked up here she had taken the time to find out what was being done to her.

"I'm sorry, _what?_" That was Amy's voice. _Amy. _He needed to get her out of here.

They had been locked in the same room that Clara was in and were waiting for the man to return.

"Basically... er... what she said. It's a bit like when you had a ganger. Physically you were at Demons Run, but your mind, your soul... that was with us, with your ganger. That's what happened with Clara. She was strapped to that machine, a switch was flicked... and there she was, with us, with the chosen robot. Well, mentally, anyway. Physically, she was here. Her mind was with us, though. At the Asylum, her mind was transmitted into a Dalek. The creature inside the Dalek was probably dead by then, so her mind just took over the robot side of it. When we were on that spaceship, she had been transmitted to a simple robot, maybe one from earth... But physically, she was here." Amy nodded.

"But what about when she was in our dream?"

"The transmission must have become mixed with our dream. Remember, it wasn't a proper dream, it was something the Dream Lord had created using Psychic Pollen, so the transmission got mixed up in that world, trying to follow us. It was trying to follow us wherever we were, trying to home in on us... but we were asleep. It was trying to get where we were, so it got... caught in the mix."

The Doctor sighed. How many people had been hurt to find him? In his lifetime, how many innocent people had got caught up in another person's quest to find him? Clara wasn't the only person who had been hurt because of him. Even if they saved her, he could never take the memories back. Her memories of being taken, of being afraid, of being held captive, the confusion of being turned into a robot so many times... he could never take back the pain.

They sat in silence for a while. The Doctor held Amy's hand, and squeezed it ever so often. It was as if letting go of her for more than a second would cause her to vanish.

He was aware of how protective he had become since she was nearly taken. He had learnt that he needed to be more careful... otherwise he could lose her forever.

"Thank you," Clara said suddenly. "For coming to find me... not many people would have done that."

"Hey..." Amy said gently. "You needed us. You're our friend... we didn't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I didn't send the message myself, you know," Clara said. "They threatened me, forced me to record it... I hoped you wouldn't come, so you wouldn't have to suffer whatever they have planned for you."

"What _do _they have planned for me?" The Doctor asked. And better still, why did they hate him so much? What had he ever done to them?

"I don't know... But frankly, I don't want to know," she said grimly.

He needed to get them out of here. There were so many questions that needed answering, too many... How did Clara get here? Why pick Clara? Why even have a person when they could just create a personality? They could have used a hologram for the messages, and just created a voice for her... Who were they? Why did they hate him so much?

But right now, it didn't matter. He needed to save Amy and Clara.

He needed an escape plan.

**If you review, I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter to say thanks :)**


	16. Chapter 16- Plan

**Chapter 16- Plan**

"Okay, so... are we all okay with the plan?" The Doctor ran his had through his hair, with a worried expression on his face.

"Yes, Doctor," Amy said. "Not the best plan we've ever had."

"Well, it does the job. I hope." Clara said. She had been the one to come up with the main idea in the first place, with the Doctor modifying it a bit.

He turned to Amy.

"I don't know if I'm okay with... this," he said softly. "I mean, you could get hurt..."

"Doctor, this is a lot safer than some of the things I've done. Have a little faith," Amy joked. She smiled softly. "I'll be fine."

He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, like he had done on the Byzantium. Amy closed her eyes, savouring the moment, and dreading the time when he would have to move; when they would have to get back to reality and remember that they were underground in a dangerous area.

"I _do _have faith in you, Pond," he whispered. "And that's what I'm worried about. You could get hurt trying to distract them. I know you, and I know you'll do the job properly..."

"Sorry to interrupt this beautiful moment between you two, but they could be here any minute." Clara said. "Doctor, you need to get into your position."

"Yes. Sorry. Lets do this." The Doctor walked to the door and stood so that when the door was opened, he would be behind it and it would cover him.

Amy sighed and snapped back to reality. She walked over to him and quickly kissed him on the head, before giving him a reassuring smile. He needed to understand that she would be okay. She was Amelia Pond. She would always be okay.

She hurried to join Clara on the other side of the room.

"So, what's going on between you two?" Clara asked, clearly trying to act casually interested. "Are you like a couple, or what...?"

Amy immediately felt her cheeks flush, and she stared at the floor. Were her feelings really that obvious?

"No," she snapped. "Of course not."

"Come _on, _I can see how you look at him... and how _he _looks at _you_. You'd have to be blind not to see it."

"No... Don't you remember Rory? From the Asylum? He's my husband."

"Where is he?"

Amy felt the wound that Rory had left re-opening. She felt sick and the dull ache that followed her round wherever she went became deeper and much, _much _more painful. She felt her eyes watering.

Amy felt a sudden rush of anger at Clara. She knew that it wasn't Clara's fault, that she had definitely caused it by mentioning Rory... but she couldn't help it.

What was even worse was that before they had been talking about her feelings for the Doctor. They were talking about her feelings for the Doctor, when she was married to Rory...

_Where is he? _Those three words felt like a kick in the gut. _Where is he? Where is he? Where is he? _

"He's at home," she said lightly, with a hollow feeling in her throat. "Just at home. That's all. He wanted a rest. That's all. That's all..."

Amy was fully aware of how high pitched her voice had gone, trying to conceal her pain. She was glad it was dark, so that Clara couldn't see the tears that fell from her eyes.

_Where is he? Where is he? Where is he? _

* * *

Minutes after the Doctor had gotten into his position, the man they had met at the beginning stepped into the room, followed by another man and a woman.

The woman hard jet black, long, thin hair and emerald eyes, and the man had thin, hazel coloured hair. What the two men and the woman had in common, though, was their pallid skin tone. It was like the colour had been drained from their faces...

Apart from that, they were all different in looks, but there was something they all shared; they were all as chilling as each other. A cold smile was painted on each of their lips, but it didn't reach their eyes. There was something about them that was cold, unforgiving, menacing... they all had the same effect. They all made anyone looking at them want to cower, to hide...

They all had the same expression on their face, the unspoken threat there; like they were the cats and the Doctor, Amy and Clara were the mice. They could run, but it would be nothing but a game.

More than ever, the Doctor was terrified at the thought of leaving Amy and Clara alone with them. What if something happened? What if, by the time he had got to the TARDIS, it was too late? What if the people were intolerant of them? After all, it was the Doctor they wanted, not Amy and Clara... if they died, it wouldn't matter to them...

"What do you want with us?" Amy asked them boldly. The Doctor felt fear flash through him as he watched her talk to them. It wasn't himself he was afraid for, but Amy. They could kill her so easily...

He saw Clara look at him with a questioning expression on her face. _What are you waiting for? Go! We can't hold them here forever! You're wasting time!_ The Doctor knew that standing there gawking at Amy was no help to them, no help whatsoever.

He quietly moved from his hiding place behind the door.

While the people were being distracted by Amy and Clara, he ran out of the room and into the direction of the TARDIS.

* * *

The two men and the woman stood in front of Clara and Amy. The had slightly amused smiles on their faces, as if Clara and Amy were nothing but young children or pets. As if they were humouring them by keeping them alive.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," said the man they had met before. He pointed to the woman. "This is Ines, and this," he said, pointing to the man beside him, "is Shay. I am Conrad."

"I said, _what do you want with us_?" said Amy.

"What do we want with you? Not much," Ines smiled charmingly.

"You don't have much use any more," Conrad sighed as if he was sad at such a waste. "We are sorry for what you have suffered, Clara. We didn't take any pleasure in capturing you... if it is any consolation, you have been a part of something great. "

"What do you want with the Doctor?" Clara said. Amy kept glancing at the door, where the Doctor had left. _Come on, Doctor... Hurry up..._

The smiles on their faces disappeared at the mention of the Doctor, as if the mention of his name stopped the 'fun' they appeared to be having with Amy and Clara.

"_That _is none of your concern," Shay spoke.

"Now," said Conrad. "We are done with you. We don't... _enjoy _killing... We take no pleasure in this, but you know too much. Now... how to go about it..."

"You don't want to kill us... when the Doctor gets back he will be very, _very _cross..."

"Yes, where is the Doctor?" Ines said. "Abandoned you, has he?"

"No..." Amy whispered, before stopping herself. She couldn't tell them of the plan. Instead, she decided to pretend she was worried that he wouldn't return. "I don't think so... he wouldn't do that..." _Come on Doctor, hurry up..._

"Enough," Conrad was clearly the leader here. "Lets make this quick. Ines, Shay, restrain them."

Amy's pulse quickened. What if the Doctor was too late? What if, by the time he came back, they were already dead? _Come on... Please..._

Amy and Clara moved to the back of the room, to make sure the TARDIS had plenty of room to materialise around them. _Come on..._

Just as Amy was starting to give up hope, the dark room disappeared and in it's place was a room filled with orange light.

The plan had worked. Finally, the Doctor was here. He had flown the TARDIS to them, and it had materialised around them.

They were safe.

**I love to receive reviews! If you do review, I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter to say thanks :)**


	17. Chapter 17- Reasons

**Chapter 17- Reasons**

**Sorry this update took so long. I've been ill recently, but I'm feeling a bit better now, so I thought I'd post this... enjoy! :)**

"Well, you certainly took your time, Doctor," Amy said, running to greet him. Clara's idea was to fly to TARDIS into the room and quickly run in, but the Doctor had changed it a bit. He had made it materialise around them, like he had done when he accidentally brought Brian along with them.

"Sorry, I got caught up. The TARDIS kept trying to fly away. She hates it here, bless her. It was only when I told her you were in danger that she co-operated. She likes you, Amy."

Amy never thought that that sentence would bring so much warmth. She was reminded that the TARDIS was alive, and that it wasn't the machine that everyone thought it was. It felt nice to know that the TARDIS liked her. It was her home now, after all.

"Ah. Yes, it may take a bit of getting used too..." She heard the Doctor say. Amy spun round to see Clara standing there, wide eyed and in awe of her surroundings. Amy remembered when she had been like that, when she had first set foot into the Doctor's world... that seemed like such a long time ago now.

"It's okay, I mean, I'm okay with weird stuff... it's just..." Clara was clearly lost for words. "It's wonderful..."

"Wait 'till you see the outside," smirked Amy. She knew that Clara hadn't seen the outside of the TARDIS yet, so she didn't know that it was bigger on the inside.

"Right, we've landed... Amy, I think you can have the honours of showing Clara the outside of the TARDIS." Amy grinned and stepped out of the doors.

"So, _this_... well, take a look."

Now Amy knew how the Doctor felt every time he welcomed a new companion into the TARDIS. The minute Clara set foot onto the grass outside and turned to look at the blue box, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"But... but it's..." She gawked. Amy smirked. She had forgotten how incredible the TARDIS was. Because she lived in it it was completely normal, but now that someone else was looking at it it was like seeing it for the first time.

"Come on, Clara," she Doctor grinned. "Have you got anything to say? I've heard them all."

"It's... It's smaller on the outside!"

Oh.

Amy exchanged a glance with the Doctor. He had the same surprised yet amused expression that she did.

Maybe Clara's reaction hadn't _quite _been as much like Amy's as she had thought.

* * *

"So, will you be staying with us, then?" Amy asked Clara casually.

"My whole life I've wanted to see the stars... And now I've got the chance." She grinned.

Amy laughed. The Doctor was incredible... more than incredible, but it would be nice to have a human friend, to have someone else around.

"The more the merrier, right?" Amy grinned. "Doctor? What do you say?"

"Clara, you're more than welcome. Ooh, We've kind of got a gang, now, haven't we?"

Amy sighed. "You'll get used to his odd ideas soon. Hopefully." Amy heard the Doctor pressing a few buttons and turned around. "Doctor?"

"I'm going to contact them, see if we can get any information... Ah! There we go," the screen flashed into action and Conrad, Ines and Shay appeared on the screen.

"Doctor. How very nice of you to get in touch," Conrad purred. "Pity you didn't stick around long enough to speak face to face."

"Well, I was a little busy."

"Yes, I suppose you were... How is Clara? We never got to say a goodbye to our special guest."

"Oh, I'm a lot better now I'm away from you," Clara said sweetly. "Nice of you to show concern."

"Yes, well, we try our best. Now, Doctor, what is the point of you contacting us?"

"I want information."

"What kind of information?"

"Well, first off, why pick Clara? You could have just had a hologram for the messages, and you could have created a voice for her..."

"It's none of your business, _Doctor_." Ines spat his name as if it was a curse.

"It became my business when you imprisoned my friends. Who are you?"

"Well, I suppose it can't do any harm in telling you. Our true name is Diluckus."

Recognition flooded through the Doctor. The Doctor remembered hearing stories about them as a child; the Diluckus were a mighty race who were telepathic. Usually they spoke to each other through their minds, so talking to the Doctor, Amy and Clara would be taking them a lot of effort.

"I don't know much about your race, only that you're telepathic..."

"Why would we tell _you _anything?"

"Why wouldn't you? Why do you hate me so much?"

Conrad, Ines and Shay paused for a while, as if making their mind up about something. Then, simultaneously, they closed their eyes. The Doctor could tell they were speaking to each other through their minds... he just wished he could hear them...

Suddenly, Conrad's eyes shot open.

"We... want to sell you. You would fetch a remarkable price, last of the Time Lords..."

"I won't fetch any price. _I_," he said, looking gleefully at Amy and feeling proud of himself, "don't exist. Not officially, anyway."

"Wait until I tell everyone that you do," Conrad whispered. Conrad's menacing effect disappeared, and in it's place was a sadness that the Doctor couldn't quite put his finger on.

"That won't work, Conrad. You're a clever man, and you know it won't, which is how I know you're lying. What's the _real _reason you hate me?"

Conrad's sadness was clearly still there, but he masked it. His cold smile returned and he was chilling once more.

"Also, how do you know the Doctor exists?" Amy asked.

"Don't you concern yourself with reasons, Doctor. There's no point in worrying about our reasons for... _disliking _you. It would be best if you lived your life to the fullest, since it will be ending soon. We'll make sure of that."

The screen turned black and Conrad, Ines and Shay disappeared.

**This chapter's a bit shorter than usual, so sorry about that. **

**If you review, I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter to say thanks! :)**


	18. Chapter 18- Advice

**Chapter 18- Advice**

**Sorry for another short chapter, but hopefully they will be getting longer soon. This chapter is quite important, though, as you will find out. :)**

"Why would they hate you?" Amy whispered. "You've never even met them..."

"I don't know... Pond, I think it's time for you to go to bed. You too, Clara. There are tons of rooms, Amy will show you where... you can take your pick. Welcome to the TARDIS!" He said brightly, masking his worry. Why would the Diluckus want him dead?

"Oh, hang on a second... Clara, you might need this." The Doctor searched his pocket and finally found a TARDIS key. He handed it to Clara.

"There. Now, you're officially part of the TARDIS crew," he smiled.

"Er, Doctor... Aren't you forgetting something?" The Doctor turned to see Amy standing there with her arms folded. "I never got a TARDIS key!"

The Doctor's jaw dropped and he hastily found another one. He'd forgotten to give her a TARDIS key? And this wasn't just anyone. It was Amy. How could he have forgotten?

He took her hand in his, before pressing the key into it. The Doctor meant to move away, but somehow he couldn't. It was like the love he felt for her in that moment was holding him there. He looked deeply into her eyes. In return, she stared back into his with the same tenderness that he held in his expression. It felt different to when he had given the key to Clara. While handing the key to Clara had felt like welcoming her into the TARDIS, this felt more meaningful. Giving a key to someone was always meaningful, but this was different. It was full of warmth.

He was about to move his hand away, but felt her grip it and prevent it from moving. They gazed at each other for a while, as if in a trance, before Amy quickly pulled away in embarrassment. The Doctor forced himself to move. What was he doing?

"Sorry for forgetting your key, Pond," he said abruptly, hiding his emotions. "I must be getting old."

Nothing could ever come of his feelings. He didn't even know if she felt the same way. _Of course she doesn't. She loves Rory. _He was just giving himself false hope.

And what about River? She was his wife...

Of course, he did love her, but... Amy was incredible. He felt more love for her than he even thought he was capable of.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Clara looking at them both with an inquisitive expression on her face... but maybe he was just imagining it.

* * *

Amy's arm stretched out to touch the other side of the bed. She was half asleep, still drowsy and tired. She didn't think about what she was doing, it was subconscious. She was searching for someone who wasn't there.

Her fingers were met with a cold, empty space that hadn't been used since...

Since Rory left.

Amy felt her eyes well with tears. Rory should be there. Instead, all she was met with was an empty space and memories of his face. She felt empty, alone...

That fact that Rory wasn't there wasn't even the worst of it. No, it was far worse than that. The worst of it was that she wasn't sure who she had been subconsciously searching for, Rory, or... the Doctor. Amy didn't know who she had been hoping to see.

She tried to bury the ache and yearning she felt for the Doctor to hold her, but it was impossible.

The tears ran down her face and onto her pillow. She finally let the sobs out; let herself cry over the confusion of it all.

Why did she have to feel this way for the Doctor? Especially so close to Rory's disappearance...

What if it was the Doctor she was searching for, and not Rory? Guilt flooded through her and she buried her face in the pillow, sobbing heavily. She had betrayed Rory. Amy closed her eyes, silently begging for everything to turn out okay.

_You might as well admit it, _she thought to herself with despair. _You're in love with the Doctor..._

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

What? What if it was the Doctor? How was she going to explain this? Amy quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and tried to neaten up her hair, before sitting up.

"Come in," she said.

To her relief, it wasn't the Doctor, but Clara.

"Hi. I heard you crying, and thought I'd come to see if you were okay," said Clara.

Had her sobbing really been that loud?

"I'm fine," she lied. "Really, I'm fine. I wasn't crying."

Clara looked doubtful. "Seriously? Because, um, your pillow is soaking wet with tears."

Amy spun round and quickly turned her pillow over. "Er, no, it's not."

Clara sighed and sat at the end of the bed. "Amy, do you really think I'm that stupid?"

Amy stayed silent. She was too tired to come up with a reasonable argument.

"How come you're all dressed?" Amy asked suddenly, in an attempt to change the subject. "It's the middle of the night."

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to look around the TARDIS. I've been to the library, the swimming pool, the kitchen, the aquarium, the low gravity room, which, by the way, was awesome, and the garden," Clara smirked at Amy's stunned expression. "But if you ask me, the garden's more of a forest. Now, stop trying to change the subject and tell me what's _really _up, okay?"

"Nothing's up!" Amy said stubbornly.

"Oh, _come on _Amy. I know exactly what's up. A blind person could see it. I know you're in love with the Doctor."

Amy stayed silent for a while, before whispering in a small voice, "how did you know?"

"It's obvious. When we were locked in that room the way you two were acting around each other... well, lets just say I got the impression that you two were together. It was only after you told me otherwise that I realised you clearly hadn't told each other about the way you feel. And when he gave you that TARDIS key... you two were staring at each other like nothing else mattered. Amy, you can't hide this forever."

"I can, and I will. The Doctor obviously doesn't feel the same way. There's no way that I'll ever tell him."

Clara looked exasperated. "Do you really not know how he feels about you? I think you do. I just think you're refusing to admit it to yourself, because you're afraid of the consequences. The Doctor is as in love with you as you are with him. Believe me, I can tell by the way he acts around you."

Clara was right about one thing: Amy didn't want to believe it.

"Even if he did, which he doesn't, things aren't that simple. For starters, _he's married._ And not just married, but _married to my daughter. _Don't ask, it's complicated. And secondly, what about Rory? I love Rory, but all I can think about is the Doctor. I can't just let Rory go... I can't betray him," she whispered. "I don't even know how this happened, me falling in love with the Doctor... Rory was taken, and he was there for me... And I don't know, I just... Ugh! It's just so hard to control my feelings..." Amy looked up and saw a sympathetic expression on Clara's face.

"Do you think... do you think he loves your daughter?"

"River," Amy corrected her.

"River. Do you think he loves River?"

"Yes, I mean... Yes, I think he does..."

"Does he love her as much as he loves you?"

"How am I meant to know that?" Amy asked. "All I know is that I can't hurt Melody... I mean, River to you, like that. She's my daughter. Whatever happens, however complicated and insane our relationship may be, she is still my daughter. That won't ever change."

"It isn't your fault that you have these feelings. Amy, the Doctor is in love with you," Clara said quietly. "And I suspect he feels the same way about River as you do about Rory. He loves her, and doesn't want to betray her, but can't ignore how he feels for you."

"Nothing can ever happen between us. Even without all of the other complications, he still can't age. I'd grow old and he'd stay young," she whispered. "I just need to accept that."

"Something _can _happen," Clara told her. "Just... just think about that."

Clara stood up and left the room.

**I was always confused about why the Doctor never gave Amy a key to the TARDIS. I don't know if he did and it was just never shown on the show, but I don't think he did, because when she takes the key off Winston Churchill the Doctor takes it off her. So I decided to fix that in this chapter. :) **

**If you review I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter to say thanks! :)**


	19. Chapter 19- The Two Prophecies

**Chapter 19- The Two Prophecies**

**Sorry about how late this update is! I had to rewrite some of this chapter because I wasn't happy with it... but finally, here it is! To make up for it this chapter is a bit longer :) It's the longest chapter so far! **

**Enjoy!**

"So, Clara, your first trip! Where do you want to go, what do you want to see?" The Doctor skipped around the console, with an excited look on his face. Amy and Clara exchanged a glance and Clara gave her a sympathetic smile. She knew how Amy was feeling right now. Clara knew that after last night's conversation, there was no going back. Amy knew about the Doctor's feelings for her. Sure, she was in denial about them and didn't want to believe that he felt that way for her, but deep down she knew.

Clara also knew that Amy would never, _ever _admit to the Doctor that she had feelings for him. Getting her to tell him would be harder then she thought.

"Is nobody going to answer me? Is nobody even the tiniest bit impressed about my TARDIS flying skills? Clara? You're not even impressed that I could take you _anywhere _in the universe...?"

"Whoa, _calm, _chinboy," Clara rolled her eyes. She had been deep in thought before being interrupted by him. How was she going to get them to open up to each other?

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere," she grinned, snapping back into the present. Her plans would have to wait. "Just... take me somewhere exciting,"

"Will do. Amy, are you okay with that?" At the mention of her name, Amy's head snapped up. Clearly Clara wasn't the only one whose thoughts had been interrupted.

"Yes... sorry, what?" Amy whispered.

"I said, are you okay with the plans? Not that it's much of a plan yet, but I was just wondering if you had any suggestions...?" The Doctor seemed to notice that Amy wasn't quite herself. "Amy... are you okay?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine. And yes, I'm fine with doing whatever you want to do."

"Amy, you seem... I don't know, not yourself. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me." Amy laughed half heartedly. "I'm fine, really."

"I always worry about you, Pond. Okay..." the Doctor didn't sound convinced. "If you're sure. Now, let's see," he said, turning to the console. "Ah! Lets go there."

* * *

The Doctor, Amy and Clara stood at the top of a large cliff, staring down at the water lapping gently against the shore. The sky was a creamy yellow, the sea was deep green, and the ground they were standing on was covered in bright bluey-green plants that resembled moss. There was no sand; instead the ground below the cliff was covered in crystal clear, glittering rocks that caught the sunlight. The sea cleaned the crystal rocks as it moved to the shore, making the rocks even more sparkling and contributing to the magical effect.

"It's... Doctor, it's..." Amy couldn't finish her sentence.

"Beautiful," Clara finished it for her. "It's beautiful."

"The planet of the Crystalline Cliffs," the Doctor said. "That is literally what the planet is called. Long ago they decided it would be better for tourists if they made their main attraction obvious, hence the name. The crystals literally cover most of the planet. So, Clara, your first trip, have we impressed you yet?"

"I... It's amazing. Brilliant. I've always dreamed of travelling this far, but I never got the chance... Thank you," she grinned. Amy could see the awe in her eyes.

Even though Amy had travelled with the Doctor for quite some time now, she never got used to the thrill of ending up somewhere incredible. Even though she had done this countless times, she still felt the same awe and wonder that she was seeing in Clara now.

"That's not the best part. No, it gets much, _much _better. Legend has it the rocks can tell you your future. I wouldn't usually believe this, but there are so many accounts from people who have experienced it first hand. People who have been told their own future... they could be making it up, I suppose, but there are so many accounts... Why would that many people make it up? It's never really made any sense to me..."

"Something that _doesn't _make sense to you? Now, there's a first!" Grinned Amy. "So that's what we're here for? To find out if it's true..." She couldn't hide the excitement from her voice.

"And here I was thinking we'd just come here to relax," Clara joked.

They made their way towards a large building. Towers made of a material resembling glass gleamed in the sunlight, and the main building in the middle was so large that Amy couldn't help but gawk.

"Impressive, Pond?" the Doctor smiled.

"So-so," she pretended to be indifferent, shrugging. Seeing his disappointed face, she laughed. "I'm joking! It's amazing," she told him. Then, so quietly that he couldn't hear her, she whispered, "_you're _amazing."

"What was that, Pond?"

For a second, one tiny second, she was tempted to tell him everything. How the tears she had shed weren't just about Rory's absence, but also about her feelings for him. How she couldn't get him out of her mind. How she had fallen in love with him. Wouldn't it be so much easier if he knew? And, if he really did feel the same way, like Clara said, maybe something _could _happen...

"Er, nothing..." she whispered, staring at the floor. As much as she wanted to believe that something could happen between them, it just wasn't realistic. He could _never _find out about her feelings. Never. For Rory's sake and for her own. Telling the Doctor would just ruin their relationship. Even if he did feel that way for her like Clara had said, nothing could happen between them. He didn't age, for starters. Telling him would just make it awkward between them, because nothing could ever happen...

She quickly looked up and masked her emotions.

"Come on. Lets go," she said, leading the Doctor and Clara to the building.

Amy tried to ignore the sympathetic glances from Clara.

* * *

"Hello! I'm the Doctor, this is Amy, and this is Clara." The Doctor grinned at the security guard standing opposite them. "We're visitors. Tourists. Explorers. We're coming to see the sights." The guard had the shape of a human but was so clad in dark uniform, safety glasses and masks that Amy couldn't see his face.

"_He_ certainly rambles a bit, doesn't he?" Clara whispered to Amy.

"Trust me, you'll get used to it," giggled Amy.

"Come on, stop chattering. Lets ask this fellow over here about the rocks," the Doctor said, leading them over to a member of staff standing at the side of the room. Unlike the other man, Amy could actually see his face. The inhabitants of the planet were clearly a humanoid race; they had the overall look of a human being, but their features seemed more smoothed out somehow. There were no creases or lines in the skin, and any bones that were there weren't obvious.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor, this is Amy, and this is Clara. We're wondering if you know anything about the crystal rocks. Do you know how they work?"

The man shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Would you like to be told your future?"

"That isn't what I asked... Do you know how they work?"

"We... we have an arrangement."

"With who?"

The man looked impatient. "Sir, do you want to know your future or not?"

Amy looked at the Doctor and discretely shook her head at him. His eyes locked with hers for a matter of seconds, but she could tell he understood her message. She was telling him not to go through with it. Amy was sure that if the Doctor was told his future, he would regret it later on.

The Doctor looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yes. Yes, I would. Show me the way."

* * *

"Doctor, you're not _actually _going to go through with this, are you?" Amy whispered to the Doctor as they were led down to the beach. "Please, just take my advise-"

"Of course I'm not _actually _going to got through with it, Pond. I'm not _that _stupid. No, I'm just going to find out how it works."

"Why are you so interested in this, anyway?" Clara asked. "You're going to great lengths to find this one piece of information out."

The Doctor's face softened for a moment. "I was always told stories about this planet as a child. I always wondered about it, always thought about how it worked... it's silly, I know. But there's nothing I hate more than an unsolved mystery."

Finally, they arrived. In between two of the rocks was a small opening; just about large enough for a human to fit through.

"Go down there, and you will find out what you wish to know," the man said hurriedly, before turning and and walking away quickly.

"Well... I suppose I'd better go down. You can stay here if you want."

"Do you _really _believe that I'm not coming?" Amy asked, rolling her eyes. "I thought you'd have learnt by now." There was no way she was leaving him to go down into a strange, unknown hole all by himself. She was coming, and nobody could stop her.

A huge grin spread across the Doctor's face. "I was hoping you'd say that. Come along, Pond. Clara? Are you coming?"

"Try and stop me!" Clara laughed. "Out of the way, chinboy. I'm going down first."

The three of them headed down into the unknown.

* * *

The second Amy stepped into the world underneath the rocks, her eyes widened with wonder. Slowly, she took in her surroundings.

The floor of the room was submerged in warm, clear, shining water. It came up to her ankles and soaked through her shoes. She could hear the occasional _drip-drip _of droplets of water falling from the ceiling. The room was covered in the crystal rocks they had seen outside, except this time they were bigger, much, _much _bigger. There was barely any light in the room, but the crystals still managed to catch the light, sending a glittery image onto the surrounding walls. Even the smooth, damp stone walls had a relaxing, relieving effect. Amy couldn't help but feel drowsy...

"Amy!" The Doctor tapped her on the shoulder, breaking her trance. "Are you okay? If you want, we can go..."

"No," she said quickly. "Nah, I'm just tired. Come on, lets have a look around. We can at least try to find out how this place works."

"Come along then, Pond. And... ooh, can I call you Oswald?" The Doctor said, turning to Clara.

"Whatever takes your fancy," Clara rolled her eyes.

"Cool. Pond is cool. Oswald is cool. Wish I had a cool surname... well, I do, but... let's not go there."

"The Doctor. Amelia Pond. Clara Oswald," an unknown voice whispered. Amy spun round with surprise.

"Doctor! Who was that?"

"I don't know... Hello? Is anybody there?" He asked.

"You seek your future. You will have it," the voice whispered.

"Doctor, we need to get out of here..." Clara whispered. "You _can't _find out your future. That's... that's just not right."

"But don't you see? We've nearly found out how this place works. I hate an unsolved mystery..."

"Some things you can't solve," Amy took his hand. "Come on, let's go."

"Who are you?" He asked the voice.

"We are the Makeyis. We have no physical form. You can't see us, touch us, smell us..." A chorus of voices spoke together.

"You shouldn't be telling people their future. Of course, when people hear about this attraction, they'll be so curious that many of them will come. But it's not the natural way of things. They have to live out their lives to find out what will happen. What are you doing here? We don't want to know our future. Just... tell us why you're here."

"We don't completely tell them, just... give them a teaser. Long ago, our planet was destroyed. Then we came here, and we found an environment much like our own. We appealed to the residents of this planet, and we told them that if they let us stay, we would provide a new attraction that would bring many tourists. They agreed. We tell those who ask for it their future. We have seen the beginning and the end of time. We are trillions and trillions of years old. We know everything that will ever happen. We know everybody's future, everybody's past... Everyone in the universe."

"How is that even possible?" Amy asked. She was still uneasy about the whole situation, but curiosity got the better of her.

"We have seen it. All of it. We have lived so long, seen so many things... We have seen your life. We have seen everybody's life. Some things are more complicated than your minds can comprehend."

They stood there in silence for a while, taking the words in. Then, the Doctor spun round, and took Amy and Clara's hands.

"You're both right. We're leaving. Now." Suddenly, Amy heard the knock of rocks clattering against each other. She quickly looked up.

The entrance was sealed.

Fear built up in the pit of her stomach. Why hadn't the Doctor just listened to her?

"No, Doctor," the voices whispered. "You will not go. There is something you must know..."

"No. I don't want to know my future."

"Doctor, we will tell you..."

"No! I said no."

"Your words do not matter. There is something you _must _know. Our lives have been leading up to this moment. The moment we tell you your prophecy. Doctor, you will find out the true meaning of your name."

The Doctor's face paled and his eyes widened. "What?"

Amy had never heard the Doctor's voice sound so small, so shocked, so terrified. His confidence had vanished.

"You have so many names. This is but one of them. The Oncoming Storm. Soon, very soon, it's meaning will change. It will have a new meaning."

Amy reached over and took his hand. She was scared, terrified, in fact, but she wouldn't let it show. The Doctor needed her.

He smiled a soft, appreciative smile at her. She gave him strength, even in the darkest times.

"That is not all. Amelia Pond, we have a prophecy for you, too." At the mention of her name, Amy's head shot up in shock. What could they possibly have to say to her?

"No, no, this has gone on long enough," the Doctor said, his voice raising now. "You leave her alone. No prophecies. Nothing."

"Amelia Pond, you will make a decision that will not only change you, but those around you."

Amy wanted to shut out the words, to pretend she had never heard them. But it was impossible. All she could feel was the fear, the dread, the confusion...

_Amelia Pond, you will make a decision that will not only change you, but those around you._

She had a feeling that those words would be circulating around her head for a long, long time.

Something in her brain registered the entrance to the room they were in opening again, registered the warm feeling of the Doctor's hand on hers, registered him leading her outside and back onto the beach.

Apart from letting him lead her out, she didn't respond in any way. She couldn't. All she could think about was the prophecy.

_Amelia Pond, you will make a decision that will not only change you, but those around you._

**I hope you enjoyed that! **

**If you review you get a sneak peek of the next chapter :) **


	20. Chapter 20- An Apology

**Chapter 20- An Apology**

The bright orange glow of the TARDIS hit the Doctor, Amy and Clara as they stepped through the police box doors and into the console room. Weary from the prophecies, they welcomed the familiar sight of what they considered to be their home.

Amy immediately slumped onto the chair at the side of the console, staring at nothing in particular and lost in her own thoughts. Clara stared at the floor awkwardly. She hadn't experienced the prophecies first hand, but clearly understood how important the situation was.

The Doctor absent-mindedly pressed various buttons on the console, getting them away from the beach as quickly as possible. What was he thinking? Amy and Clara had been right all along. Why hadn't he just listened to them?

_Because your curiosity always gets the better of you,_ the Dream Lord sneered. _Look where you've got yourself this time. _

"Oh, shut up!" the Doctor said, louder than he intended. Amy and Clara looked up in shock.

"Er... I mean... I didn't mean you... I... You must be tired," he said quickly. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

Wordlessly, Amy and Clara left the room. The minute they were gone the Doctor sank down onto the chair and sighed.

It was one thing that he had inflicted this situation on himself, but the fact that he had inflicted this onto Amy was another thing entirely. He knew how terrified she must be feeling right now.

And it was his fault. He remembered how, at the beginning of the day, they had been so carefree and happy. Travelling to the Planet of the Crystalline Cliffs, not really knowing about the consequences that small trip would have for them. It seemed like such a long time ago now.

What was Amy doing now? Sitting in her room wondering about what her prophecy could possibly mean? As if she didn't already have enough on her shoulders.

_His Amelia Pond. _She wasn't really his, though he liked to think that way. She belonged to Rory. She loved Rory. As much as he wanted to believe otherwise, she loved Rory, not him.

Mad, impossible Amelia Pond. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met. Had he even considered that something like this could happen when he set off to see the universe all those years ago? No. No, he hadn't. It had never even occurred to him that he could fall in love with a human. And yet here he was. And now he had hurt her, in so many ways. Losing Rory, and now... _this. _Knowing your own future was dangerous. Even if it was just a teaser.

And what about his prophecy? What did it mean? What would he do that would change the meaning of the Oncoming Storm?

He sighed. He really should have listened to Amy and Clara.

* * *

"Do you think he's all right? He seems a bit... stressed out," Clara said to Amy, as they made their way down the twisting corridors of the TARDIS.

"Yeah... I mean, he has every right to be, after what happened..." Amy trailed off. The prophecy had terrified her, but what scared her the most was that the Doctor was afraid. When things were looking bad, he could make her feel better. One look at his smiling face, one reassuring glance, one hug from her raggedy man could soothe her. When he got truly scared and emotional there was no comfort, nothing to make things seem better. She knew that when he showed his terror, things were looking down.

"Yeah. What about you? That must have been hard, hearing your prophecy. Are you okay?"

"I..." Amy wasn't sure how to answer. What did her prophecy mean? What was the decision she would make that would have such a large impact?

Should she tell Clara how much it was worrying her? Part of her said no. She was Amy Pond, and pretending she was fine was second nature. But Clara had been such a good friend over the past few days. Maybe telling her would help.

"I'm just worried. What if... what if the decision that I'm gonna make is bad? What if I do something awful? My prophecy says that it will not only change me, but everyone around me. What if I do something to hurt him? To hurt you?"

"That's in the future. What will be will be. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. Don't waste time worrying about it. That won't change anything. And anyway, they never said if your decision would have a negative or positive impact. Don't jump to conclusions. Don't worry. Look, you're not in this alone. The Doctor got a prophecy too, and no doubt he's worrying about it. Talk to him."

Amy considered Clara's words. She was right. Worrying wasn't going to make it any better. And anyway, if some alien thought they could tell her what decisions she was going to make in the future, they were sorely mistaken.

"Okay. Thanks, Clara."

* * *

Despite being exhausted, Amy was having trouble sleeping. She felt restless. She wasn't sure if it was because of the prophecy eating away at her mind, or the fact that, like every night, the other side of her bed felt painfully empty.

During the day it was getting easier to forget about what had happened to Rory... or at least push it to the back of her mind. They were always so busy that there wasn't enough time to mope.

Night time was different. Night time was when she was left to her own thoughts. Night time was when she had to lie in a bed that was obviously made for two people. Night time was when she remembered how things used to be, how instead of lying on her own, like now, she would have Rory's warm arms around her.

She missed the feeling of having someone else there, someone to hold her. Rory had been her rock in the madness of this life. Now he was gone, loneliness was always present.

Of course, she wasn't completely lonely. She had Clara, who was increasingly becoming a very good friend. She had the Doctor, _her _Doctor... just not in the way that she wanted. They weren't together.

_Tap tap tap. _

Amy sat up immediately. Someone was knocking on the door...

_Tap tap tap. _

"Come in."

The door opened and the Doctor walked in. He had a huge grin spread across his face and was carrying a bowl of fish custard. "Hey, Pond! Sorry to burst in on you like this, but... I thought I'd apologise for the way I acted earlier."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked, confused.

His face softened. "For everything. How I didn't listen to you and Clara, how I acted when we got into the TARDIS. I'm sorry, Pond. It's my fault that you heard your prophecy. I know how hard it is, because I heard one too... although I guess I kind of deserve it."

"Wait-" she began.

"But I brought us a bowl of fish custard. You seem to be growing acquired to the taste, so I thought we could share. It's not nearly the apology you deserve, but-"

"Wait. You're _seriously _apologising?" She hated the idea of him feeling guilty over what happened.

His eyebrows knotted into a frown and confusion took over his features. "Amy... it's my fault. What happened... I've just made things harder for you. And all because of my stupid curiosity. I should probably apologise to Clara, too, for not listening to her, and for acting the way I did when we got into the TARDIS, but I really don't think she'd appreciate me barging into her bedroom."

A playful smile spread across Amy lips. "And I would?"

His eyes widened with embarrassment. "I... Well... It's just, we've known each other for longer, so I thought it'd be all right..."

"Doctor, I was joking. I don't mind. I mean, I used to, when..." thinking of Rory and their rule about the Doctor not coming into their room made her throat tighten. "Well. That's in the past. The same goes for what happened with the prophecies. It's in the past, Doctor. Please, don't say sorry. I hate it when you do that," she whispered softly.

"Amelia Pond," he sighed. "You're just... you're just too good to me. I hate what I've done to you. Anyone else would be fed up with me by now."

She didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Instead she moved towards him and pulled him into a hug. It felt so good to be in his arms, to be getting comfort. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, dreading the time when the moment would end. No matter what happened, he would always be there in her life. Always. Unless...

"Doctor," she said, reluctantly moving from his arms. "What about my prophecy? The decision I'll make... what if it's bad? What if I do something to hurt you? They said it would not only affect me, but everyone around me. Well, that means you and Clara. What if I do something terrible?"

He stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity. "You won't, Pond. I have... _complete _faith in you. I have faith that you'll make the right decision."

If that was meant to make her feel better, it didn't. Now she just felt the crushing pressure to do what was right. She'd never admit it to him, but she didn't want to disappoint him.

"Doctor, promise me you'll keep me from doing something I regret."

"Amy-"

"Promise me." She stared into his eyes with a pleading expression on her face. "Please."

"I promise, Pond. You won't do anything you regret. Not on my watch."

She sighed with relief. It was something, at least. "Thank you."

"So... fish custard, then," he said, grinning. "Want some?"

"Don't mind if I do," she smiled, taking a fish finger and dipping it in the custard. She used to hate it, but she had slowly been growing accustomed to the taste. She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign.

They spent the next half hour laughing and eating the Doctor's favourite snack. Amy felt more relaxed than she had in a while. The Doctor was being ridiculous, as always, and she couldn't help but feel content sitting next to him laughing at his stories about the various adventures he had been on in the past. Her worries about the prophecy had vanished. Like Clara had said, worrying _wasn't _going to make it better.

She tried to block the sentence from her mind, tried to stop the thought from forming, but she couldn't. _What about the other things Clara said? About the Doctor feeling the same way about you as you do about him? _No. She wouldn't allow herself to have false hope...

"Amy? Are you okay?" The Doctor looked at her with concern on his face.

She bit her lip. If Clara was right, then maybe she _should _tell him...

She wanted to...

It was like the words couldn't come from her mouth. She wanted to say them, she wanted to tell him, but the words just wouldn't form. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for an answer.

She willed herself to say the words, to tell him she loved him. She wasn't in the mood to think of consequences. _Come on, Amy..._

"I-"

Amy was cut off. Suddenly, the phone from the TARDIS console began to ring.

"Oh," the Doctor said reluctantly. "I..."

"It's fine. You can get the call," she said, mentally sighing with disappointment.

It was probably for the best. She didn't know what the consequences would be for telling him about her feelings. But she couldn't help the nagging feeling that she had _almost _told him.

"What were you going to say?" He whispered, almost expectantly. Almost as if he had been hoping to hear her say... _something. _

What if he did feel that way about her? What if she had just missed her chance? She pushed the thought from her mind.

"Nothing... it's okay. Answer the phone," she said, hiding the sorrow from her voice.

She thought she saw disappointment cross his face for a second, before he composed himself and stood up. She was probably just imagining it...

Amy followed him out of her room and into the console. She held his hand tightly, not wanting to let go.

She felt a strong feeling of being lost as he led her through the twisting corridors. It was like she wasn't sure where to turn. Should she tell him, or keep it to herself? She didn't know what to do...

"Hello? Oh..." The Doctor's broke her thoughts. They were in the console room, and he was on the phone.

"Yep. Right away." He put the phone down and stared at it with an expression that Amy couldn't quite put her finger on. It was like he didn't want to talk to the person on the other side of the phone.

"Well? Who was it?" She looked at him expectantly.

"It was River. She wants us to meet her."

**Another cliffhanger, sorry everyone. And I know you'll probably hate me after reading this, after all, Amy **_**nearly **_**told him, but don't worry! We are getting closer to the Doctor finding out. :) **

**Remember, if you review you get a sneak peek of the next chapter! :)**


	21. Chapter 21- River's Arrival

**Chapter 21- River's Arrival**

**Thanks to Nikki Pond for giving me an idea to use in this chapter. Also, thanks to the guest reviewer that reviewed the last chapter. :)**

"Hello, sweetie," River smiled at the Doctor, opening the doors of the TARDIS and walking inside. "What sort of time do you call this?" They had just homed in on the co-ordinates sent to them by River, and she had wasted no time coming on board.

"So, honey," the Doctor said half-heartedly. "What are you doing here this time?"

"Well, the locals of that planet didn't like me that much. They were very rude if you ask me," she said casually. "Not the best hosts. And I thought I'd see how you were getting on."

"Where are we then, River? Have we done... you know..."

"Manhattan?" She said softly, her previous playful nature gone. "Yes. Yes, we've done Manhattan. That's the main reason I'm here. To see how Amy's getting on. How are you, mother?"

The Doctor watched Amy carefully, trying to read her reaction. He watched as Amy's expression faltered for a moment, obviously remembering what happened to Rory. In that moment, the Doctor just wanted to be close to her, to take her hand and help her through it. He didn't, though. He couldn't in front of River. Instead he stared helplessly as she struggled to answer, wishing there was something he could do.

"I'm trying to be happy," Amy finally said. "And I am. Sometimes. Not always, but... I'm getting better."

"That's good," River said simply. No doubt she felt bad about assisting the Doctor in keeping Amy from going with Rory.

They all stood there in silence for a while, the three of them awkwardly glancing at each other, waiting for someone to say something, _anything, _to break the tension.

River wasn't usually this awkward. Quite the opposite, in fact. But her mother had lost her father, and the Doctor could see the guilt in River's eyes. She had helped him keep Amy from joining Rory.

He couldn't help but feel unusually tense around her. In the time that she was gone he had spent so much time with Amy, and in that time he had gradually realised his feelings for her. He still loved River, but... just not in the same way. In the months that she had been absent from his life he had slowly fallen in love with Amy, and suddenly the love he had for River didn't seem as strong any more. He felt love for her, but in a different way to the love he felt for Amy.

Then there was he guilt. Looking at her brought a wave of guilt and regret. He felt terrible. She was his wife. How would she react if she found out that he had fallen in love with not just anyone, but Amy? He had no idea what her reaction would be. River was unpredictable.

So he stood there, feeling awkward because of the change between them. She didn't know, of course she didn't. She didn't know about his feelings.

Footsteps leading into the console interrupted the silence. Clara appeared, holding a teacup in her hand, sipping from it slowly. At the sight of River, she stopped, looking surprised to see someone else in the TARDIS.

"Who's this?" She asked.

"Clara Oswald, meet Professor River Song." Realisation seemed to cross Clara's features. "She's-"

"Your wife, Amy's daughter," Clara finished the sentence for him.

So she knew, then. Amy must have told her.

A smile appeared on River's lips. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Clara grinned, still sipping from her tea.

The Doctor glanced around the room. There was Amy, with her arms folded across her chest, looking at the floor and not meeting River's eyes. There was River, now looking slightly bewildered at the amount of awkward silences her arrival had caused. There was Clara, draining the last of her tea and glancing around at the other people in the room. And there was him, looking at his wife and feeling guilt ridden. "Well... A nice reunion," he said awkwardly.

* * *

Amy couldn't bring herself to look River in the eye.

It wasn't that she didn't want to see her; of course she did. But the guilt she felt when she looked at her was too great.

If Amy told the Doctor about her feelings, she would be sabotaging River's relationship with him. How could she do that? How could she knowingly destroy her daughter's marriage? Her daughter's happiness? Amy knew that River loved the Doctor more than she let on. She proved that when they were in the alternative timeline fighting the silence, when River and the Doctor got married.

Staring at the Doctor and River now, they looked like the perfect couple. Watching them together made Amy feel sick at the idea of breaking them apart. What if the Doctor really did love River? What if Clara was mistaken about his feelings for her? Watching the Doctor now brought a wave of uncertainty and doubt to her. In the past the Doctor had never made his love for River secret. How could that change now? Was Clara wrong?

The Doctor seemed to be acting more awkward around River than usual. They didn't seem as close, and their flirty banter ceased to exist. But that could mean anything. It didn't necessarily mean that the Doctor loved her.

Maybe the Doctor really did love River. Maybe Clara had got it wrong. After all, it wasn't like she could read minds...

River was her daughter. What sort of terrible mother would she be if she even tried to tell the Doctor of her feelings?

* * *

River and Amy stared in wonder at the creature in front of them. It was a large and colourful alien fish, it's scales shimmering through the glass of the tank and it's fins swaying slowly in the water.

They were in the TARDIS aquarium. River had suggested they go for a walk through the aquarium, after all, they hadn't seen each other in a while.

The aquarium was never ending. There were no walls; the tanks _were _the walls. Everywhere they looked exotic, alien fish looked back. The tanks were already huge, but apparently they were bigger on the inside, giving the fish an infinite amount of space to swim. It was one of the most relaxing places in the TARDIS.

"Who's Clara, then?" River asked Amy, still looking at the fish.

"We kept meeting her, and she kept dying... well, sort of. It's complicated. We managed to find her, so she decided to stay with us."

"So," River said, turning to Amy with concern in her eyes. "How are you coping, mother? How long has it been for you since Manhattan?"

"I... I don't... I haven't really kept track of time," Amy admitted. "It's all passed in a blur since Rory's... you know... disappearance."

River felt a flash of guilt. This was her fault. She had helped the Doctor keep Amy from going with Rory.

She did it partly because she didn't want to lose her mother as well as her father, but mostly she did it for the Doctor. She didn't want him to be alone.

That sounded ridiculous now, though. She had kept her parents from being together. She had helped cause the pain that Amy was feeling. She had forced her father to live a life alone. What could she do to make that right?

She knew the answer, though she wished she didn't. _Nothing. You can't do anything. There's nothing you can do to make this better. _

Silently, River embraced Amy with a hug. She was right, there was nothing she could do, except apologise.

"I'm sorry. I kept you from going to him. I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Hey... River... You don't have apologise. Just... just don't," Amy said quietly.

Even though their mother-daughter relationship wasn't exactly normal, Amy was still her mother. That would never change.

Finally, River moved away. The pain Amy was clearly feeling was something that nothing but time could fix, although River was sure it would never heal completely.

"I'm going to talk to the Doctor. Do you want to stay here, or-"

"I'll stay," Amy cut in. "I like it here. It's nice... it's relaxing. I think I'll stay for a while."

River nodded and left the room.

* * *

River found the Doctor in the library, reading a book about time.

"Wrong! Oh, that's _so _wrong. Clearly this person didn't have a clue about time. It isn't linear. It's a wibbly wobbly timey wimey ball of _stuff. _They should seriously get their facts right-" He stopped when he noticed River's arrival.

"Oh... Hello. Sorry, just... _correcting _this person's mistakes."

"Yes, sweetie. I can definitely see that."

"Good," he said awkwardly.

"We were just talking about... what happened in Manhattan," River said, sitting on the sofa next to the Doctor.

"Oh..." the Doctor said softly, regret visible in his young yet ancient eyes.

"Amy's been very brave these past few months."

"Yes... Yes, she has. She's been... she's been incredible..." Something in his eyes changed in that moment. When they started talking about Amy, he seemed... _different. _It was more than just fondness. There was something else. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on...

The sound of someone knocking on the door broke River's thoughts. Amy appeared in the doorway.

"Hey. Just thought I'd join you."

"Yes... come sit here, Pond," the Doctor smiled at her softly.

River watched as Amy went to sit next to the Doctor. They seemed very close... well, they were always close, but this seemed different. Something had changed between them. Had the Doctor ever gazed at Amy before? Well, yes, but not like he was now. Had Amy ever stared into his eyes as if nothing else in the world mattered?

River couldn't help but feel awkward. They weren't doing anything, just looking at each other... but somehow it felt very significant.

Their eyes were filled with... what? Love? _No... no, of course not... _

What was happening?

"I think I'll be off," River said slowly. She needed time to think. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

* * *

River stayed for five days. She didn't usually stay in the same place for that long, but she wanted to see how Amy was coping since Manhattan... and there was something else. Something that she needed to see.

She watched them. The Doctor and Amy. Day by day it became clearer and clearer how they really felt about each other. The stolen glances, the soft smiles, the look in their eyes. They were in love. River was no fool, and after spending a few days with them she could tell for certain.

It hurt. Of course it did. Watching them made her almost wish she had never come to visit, so that she could still be blissfully unaware that the Doctor's feelings for her had changed, that he loved another.

Of course, it wasn't just anyone that he had fallen in love with. It was Amy. She wasn't sure if this made it easier or harder to bear. Harder because she knew the person and easier because it was Amy, who deserved to be happy.

Watching them made her want to look away, to walk out of the doors and pretend she had never noticed the way they acted around each other. But she was River Song, and she didn't walk away from things like this. No, she faced it.

She took a pen and shakily wrote five words on a piece of paper, before putting it somewhere the Doctor would find it.

_Sweetie, _

_We need to talk. _

**I really appreciate reviews, and if you do review I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter :)**


	22. Chapter 22- Tell Her

**Chapter 22- Tell her**

**So, here's a random question: did you watch _Hide_? It was brilliant!**

**Sorry that this took a while. I've had a lot of homework recently! **

The Doctor knew River was in the aquarium. The TARDIS guided him towards the room. Even as he turned the door handle, he knew something was wrong.

She was sitting on a chair, with her back turned, staring at the fish gliding through the water. She couldn't see him, then. He began to walk towards her, but was interrupted by her voice.

"They're beautiful, aren't they? Let me guess, that one's from earth, that one's from Atiant-"

"River," he interrupted her. "What... what are we doing here?"

She stood and turned to face him. "I think you know, sweetie."

What? What did she mean? This wasn't like River, calling a proper meeting, being so evasive, so serious... Something wasn't right.

A soft, sad smile appeared on her lips, and she stepped closer to him. As the seconds passed by, he grew more and more on edge, more and more worried. What was wrong?

"I'm leaving."

This sentence just brought more confusion. He had guessed she would be leaving soon, as she didn't usually stay for such a long time. Why did she seem so sad? He'd see her again...

"No, sweetie," she said quietly, sensing his confusion. "I'm leaving _you._"

His jaw dropped with shock and confusion. She was _what? _Why would she leave him? Had he done something wrong? "I..."

"It's okay," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. "You haven't done anything wrong. But this is for the best."

"Why?" He didn't understand what she was talking about. "River, what's brought this on? Have you actually thought this through-"

"I know about you and Amy," she cut him off. It was such a simple sentence, yet after hearing it all of the words he had been about to say vanished. The confusion was replaced with a cold realisation and guilt.

"River..." He didn't know what to say. There was nothing he _could _say. So he just stood there, his cheeks burning with shame and embarrassment, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "River, I..."

"You don't have to apologise," she said quietly. "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters," he mumbled in regret. How much had he hurt River already? She was kidnapped as a child and denied a life with her parents because of him, and now this... what more could he possibly do to ruin her life?

"You love Amy. She loves you. You both deserve to be happy," she murmured, clearly holding back tears. "What's the point in living a lie? Doctor, look me in the eye and tell me you don't love Amy."

He couldn't. He just couldn't. As much as he wanted the words to form, after all, nothing could ever happen between Amy and him, the words wouldn't come.

"That's what I thought."

They stood there in silence for a while, staring at the floor with unease. The Doctor didn't know what to say. There was nothing he _could _say. The one time he needed words, and they failed to appear.

"How long have you been in love with her?" River asked quietly.

The Doctor still couldn't speak. How could he openly talk about his feelings for Amy in front of River? Earlier on everything had been normal... well, as normal as his life could ever get. This had all happened so suddenly, so fast... now he was standing here, staring at his now ex-wife with guilt.

"Tell me. I want to know. Please. Tell me."

What should he say? He couldn't even remember when his feelings had started. It was all such a blur...

"I... I don't know... River, I'm sorry..."

A smile spread across River's lips. This time, it was genuine. "Don't think this is the last you'll see of me, sweetie."

He watched helplessly as she walked passed him, out of the doors. He had imagined her being angry, being upset, hating him... he had never thought she would let him go so readily. Out of all of the possible reactions he had thought she might have after finding out, he'd never thought she would act like _this. _

* * *

Now it was Amy's turn to be a place of comfort.

It was true that the Doctor's love for River had faded. But still, the idea of them breaking up was a shock. He hadn't expected it. And with the shock also came the guilt. He felt terrible. He knew how much he had hurt River, even though she didn't show it. How could he make this right?

He missed her. It wasn't the same as when he didn't see her for months. That was fine. But now it was different. She was no longer his wife, and their relationship would never be the same again. Even though he didn't love her in the same way any more, he still missed her. So, so much. And he worried about her. How was she coping?

Amy was amazing. It had come as a huge shock when she found out that River had broken up with the Doctor, but she was there for him. His Amy. Always there, always ready to offer comfort. Always ready to make him laugh.

He knew she wouldn't always be there. She was human, and she would grow old in front of his eyes.

He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He didn't want to think about it.

* * *

When Amy first heard about the Doctor and River's break up, she couldn't believe it.

Even the idea of them not being together was shocking. She was so used to the idea of the Doctor and River being together that this was unexpected.

How was her daughter coping? How was her Raggedy man coping? And most of all, why did they break up? The Doctor had refused to tell her...

There was a small, niggling voice that said _he's free now. Tell him about your feelings. Tell him. Tell him..._

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She would _not _do anything like that. Not when her daughter had only just left him...

All she could do was be there for him.

* * *

"Good night, Amy," murmured the Doctor, tucking her in to bed like a small child. Recently it had become a sort of ritual between them. It helped them both. They were both lonely, both alone apart from having each other. The Doctor was the last of his kind. Amy had lost Rory. Having something as simple as this brought comfort.

"Good night, Doctor." Amy wanted to add more, so, _so _much more, but she couldn't. The words were on the tip of her tongue, how she loved him, how she couldn't keep it in any longer, yet instead of coming out of her mouth they stayed inside her head.. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, willing the words to come out. They never did.

_How can you, when your daughter has only just left him?_ That sentence circled around her mind urgently, and yet she didn't want to pay attention to it. Frustration flooded through her. Why couldn't she just tell him?

She watched him carefully. Was it just her, or did her want to say something too? They both stared at each other awkwardly, waiting for one of them to say something.

Once again, she found herself wondering if what Clara had said about him returning her feelings were true. It was like the unspoken words were hanging in the air between them. Did he feel the same way?

Finally, he made his way to the door."Well then... I guess... sweet dreams, Amy."

* * *

Clara speedily made her way down the TARDIS corridor.

She was tired of seeing Amy looking pained whenever her feelings were mentioned, tired of watching the Doctor pretend to see Amy as just a friend. They needed to come clean and admit their feelings.

She stopped walking abruptly. Standing outside Amy's room was the Doctor, looking deep in thought.

"Doctor!" Clara said brightly. "Exactly the person I wanted to see. Come with me. Now." Without waiting for a reply, she lead him to the TARDIS console.

"Hey! I do the hand grabbing..."

"Doctor, shush. I have something I need to talk to you about."

"Okay..."

"It concerns Amy."

At that sentence the Doctor's jaw dropped with worry. Clara knew that if he wasn't looking at her, she would be smiling. Did he have to make it so obvious that he was in love with her?

"Is she okay? What's wrong? Tell me-"

"Well, I was about to, until you interrupted."

"Oh. Er, sorry. Carry on."

"Look, there's no delicate way of putting this, so I'm just going to say it bluntly. I know you're in love with Amy. I can see it."

His eyes widened with shock. "No, no... of course not, I mean, where would you even get that idea? We're just friends, nothing more-"

"Doctor, _I know. _I know it's embarrassing. I know you don't want to tell her. But you should. She has the right to know," Clara said, exasperated. She had been patient, watching them hide their feelings, trying to find subtle ways of getting them to tell each other, like talking to Amy about her feelings and trying to hint at the idea of her telling him. But now, there was clearly only one approach. She had to be to-the-point. She had to be blunt.

The Doctor sank onto a chair. "I can't. She doesn't even feel that way about me. She loves Rory..."

"And she loves you too," Clara said, this time more gently. "I know she does."

"How?"

She bit her lip. Could she really tell the Doctor everything that Amy had told her? About her feelings? No. No, she couldn't. That would be completely betraying her trust. Amy had trusted her not to tell the Doctor about everything she had told her.

Instead, she decided to do the same thing she did with Amy. Tell him what she had noticed the minute she saw them both together.

"I can see it in her eyes. The way she acts around you... she _does _feel the same way. I'm sure of it. Doctor, you're just going to have to trust me on this. Like I said, I'm sure she'd prefer to know than be left in the dark."

The Doctor considered. She could tell she was getting through to him. "But... she'll die," he whispered, with sadness in his eyes. "I mean, one day Amy will die. I can't watch that happen."

"You married River knowing that one day she would die. How is this any different? Besides... I'm sure you'll figure something out."

He stared at her for ages, taking in everything that she had said. Finally, his eyes went to the floor.

"Okay... I suppose... I'll tell her," he said, so quietly she could barely hear. "In the morning, I'll tell her."

He stood up and left.

Had she done the right thing? Was she just interfering? Maybe she should have left things to take their course...

_They'll thank me in the morning... I hope. _

**So... I hope you enjoyed that. I think that if the Doctor did fall out of love with River, he would still care about her, just not in the same way. So that's why I wrote their break up this way. I wanted him to be at least a little sad.**

**If you review I'll send you a sneak peek for the next chapter :)**


	23. Chapter 23- Time To Stop Waiting

**Chapter 23- Time to Stop Waiting**

**I'm really sorry for how long this took. I can't believe it's been a month since I last updated! This chapter was quite hard to write and I had an exam coming up that I needed to study for. But finally, here's the next chapter! I hope it's worth the wait!**

The gentle hum of the TARDIS filled Amy's ears with a soft, comforting sound.

She could only ever hear it if she strained her ears. Sometimes it was peaceful to sit down, like she was now, and listen to the familiar noise.

It was midday, and Amy had stayed in her room for a while to do some reading. She had finished the book and didn't have much else to do. It seemed to be one of those very rare days in the TARDIS when they didn't go anywhere.

Footsteps leading up to her bedroom door interrupted her thoughts. Amy looked up quickly and waited for whoever wanted to see her.

_Knock knock knock. _The knocking was soft, almost silent, as if the person on the other side of the door was nervous.

"Um... come in." The door opened slowly and the Doctor appeared, with an anxious look on his face.

"Hello, Amy... I... need to speak to you about something," he said quietly, running his hand through his hair. "If that's okay..."

"If that's _okay?_" Amy frowned. "Come on, Raggedy man. Stop being so... _formal._"

He laughed, but Amy could tell it was a cover up for what he was really feeling. Why was he so nervous? So awkward? "Doctor..." She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she had to ask. He didn't seem to have any particular reason for standing there. "Why are you here?"

Something in his expression softened as the words escaped her lips. Amy saw the tender look in his eyes, his worried yet gentle gaze. He looked so anxious, so nervous... he was never usually like this in her presence. She hated to see him like this. All Amy wanted to do was to take him in her arms.

Her Raggedy Man... she loved him so much. If only she could tell him.

"I thought you might be bored. We're not really doing much today..."

"Well, come on, then," Amy interrupted him. "Let's do something. I feel like visiting the swimming pool. You?"

The Doctor smiled softly at her. Without a word, he took her hand and led her out of the room.

* * *

The Doctor was nervous.

It wasn't a new emotion; he had faced the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Silence and much, _much _more, but he had never felt this kind. The kind that kept him glancing at Amy to look for reassurance, the kind that made him have to resist the urge to hold her hand even tighter than he was now.

Even now, though, one look at her vibrant red hair, beautiful green eyes and soft smile could calm him. _Amelia Pond. The fairytale girl. _

"Shouldn't we go to the wardrobe first?" The Doctor asked Amy. "I mean, we can't really go swimming in our normal outfits..."

"I purposefully made sure we dodged the wardrobe," Amy said, a smile creeping onto her face.

"Why-"

"So I could do this." Before he could even react, he felt Amy push him. He lost his footing and tumbled into the pool.

The first thing he heard when he reached the surface was Amy's laughter. The sound was so perfect that he forgot about how soaked he was and just appreciated the noise.

"My bow tie's wet! Very funny, Pond," he said, but there was a grin on his face as he said it. His Amy. She could make him forget about all of his troubles so easily.

"Okay, my turn!" Amy leapt into the pool, looking like a small child again. She rarely looked this young these days, especially after what had happened to Rory. The Doctor had learnt to savour these rare moments, moments where Amy didn't have a care in the world. It made him happy. He hated seeing Amy looking upset.

"Now," she said, talking in a softer voice than before. "What do you need to tell me?"

His smile vanished. "How do you know I need to tell you something?"

"I can tell. I've known you for so long, Doctor... I can tell when you've got something on your mind."

He sighed. She knew him too well. _Not well enough, though. Not well enough to know when he was in love. _

They climbed back out of the pool again. She pulled out a chair and sat on it, gesturing for him to do the same. Reluctantly he took one and sat next to her, still dripping wet from the pool. What was he meant to do? How could he tell her about his feelings? How could he even begin to explain the reason behind his awkward and nervous behaviour? The reason behind his break up with River?

"Sorry," Amy smiled warmly. "I shouldn't have pushed you in like that," she handed him a towel, before taking one for herself.

"You know I don't mind. It made you laugh..." he murmured. "That's what counts."

The Doctor felt a warm pressure on his hand. Amy had taken it in hers. "You always make me laugh," she said softly. "In a good way. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He gazed at her, taking in her face as if it was the last time he would ever see her. He stared at her flowing red hair, her flushed cheeks, her crimson lips. Amelia Pond. She was perfect.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you..." he mumbled. He couldn't believe the words were coming out of his mouth. It was he couldn't stop them. He _had_ to tell her. "I... I don't know what I'd do without you..." It was no good. He just couldn't form the words. _I love you. I love you, Amelia __Pond. I always will. _

She seemed to sense that there was something different about the way he said the words. It wasn't the first time he had told her that he didn't know what he'd do without her, but she seemed to sense that this time, it meant more.

They gazed at each other, getting lost in each other's eyes. The words slipped out. "Amy... I love you."

He searched her face, waiting for a reaction, something, _anything, _to be sure that what he just said had not just ruined their friendship. She stared into his eyes, looking disbelieving, yet hopeful. There was something else... her eyes were filled with love.

He wasn't sure which one of them moved forward first. He just felt their lips touch.

And he forgot how to breathe.

The kiss was soft, lingering and slow. The Doctor leaned in slowly, savouring the moment. All he could hear was the fast beating of his own hearts, thudding in his chest. He inhaled, smelling the sweet smell that was so _Amy. _His lips moved against hers gently, and he could feel Amy's hand go to his neck. In that moment, nothing mattered any more. There were no worries or regrets, nothing to destroy this perfect moment.

Amy slowly broke the kiss off, staring deeply into his eyes. Her lips parted and her eyes widened in surprise and realization of what had just happened. "I..."

"I'm sorry," whispered the Doctor. "I mean... If you don't want this, it's okay." He stared at her, silently begging that she would say that she did want it, that she wanted to be with him. He didn't want to think about what the consequences would be if they were together. All he wanted to think about was _her. _How could he go back to them just being friends _now? _After he had experienced what it would be like to be with Amy?

To his relief, a smile spread across her lips. "I _do _want this. I've wanted it for ages. It's just... do you want it? Do you want to be with me?"

"Yes," he murmured, as if in a dream. "It took me so long to admit it to myself, Amy. But... I've loved you ever since you ran away with me." He placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and savouring the moment. "Amelia Pond... The Girl Who Waited. I love you."

In response, she kissed him on the forehead, before placing her forehead back on his. "I love you too, Doctor."

* * *

Everything was perfect.

For the first time in Amy's life since Manhattan, everything was truly perfect. The Doctor had her hand clasped in his own, and they were walking down to the TARDIS console. She kept glancing at him and was unable to keep herself from smiling. He squeezed her hand and wore that goofy grin that she had come to know so well.

When they finally reached the console, Clara was standing there. "So. You sorted things out, then." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"How did you kno-"

Amy was cut off by Clara's laughter. "It's obvious. I can see it. You keep smiling at each other. You can't keep your eyes off each other." Amy blushed with embarrassment.

"It was about time," smiled Clara. "All you needed was a little push. No need to thank me."

"Oh, about that..." the Doctor said, turning to Amy. "Clara sort of... _persuaded _me to tell you about how I felt."

Amy walked away from the Doctor and hugged Clara. "Thank you. For everything."

Clara grinned. "My pleasure," she said, before walking away from them. "I've got stuff to do. See you later!"

Amy turned to the Doctor and stepped closer to him, taking both his hands in hers. Her eyes fluttered closed as he kissed her gently on the forehead, nose, and then finally lips.

She couldn't quite believe that the Doctor was kissing her. He was her imaginary friend, her Raggedy Man. She had never thought he could love her like she loved him.

Yet here he was, smiling at her like she was the most perfect person in the world. She had waited so long to tell him about her true feelings. Now she didn't have to hide them any more. "Amelia Pond," he whispered softly, staring deeply into her eyes. "You've stolen my hearts."

He almost looked afraid, like he was scared that she wouldn't say it back. "Doctor... what's on your mind?"

He sighed, closing his eyes. "You're human, Amy. I never even... When I set off, travelling the universe, I never even though it possible. I never even thought I could feel like this about a human. You're so fragile, so delicate... I can't lose you."

She gazed into his eyes. He was so old, yet sometimes the look on his face reminded her of a child. He could be so powerful yet sometimes he was so vulnerable. She felt so much love for him, almost too much to contain. The idea of him in pain was unbearable.

"You won't lose me," she whispered to him, even though she partly knew that it wasn't true, that she couldn't live forever. "I promise I'll always be here," she said sincerely. "I love you. I'll never, _ever _leave you."

He stared at her for a while. She knew that deep down, he knew just as well as her that he couldn't have her forever. A soft smile appeared on his lips, even though his eyes were still sad. He drew her closer to him, pulling her in for a hug. Neither of them moved away for a long time. Amy was content just to stay in his arms, wrapped up in his warm embrace.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. By the way, what did you think of The Name of the Doctor? I thought it was amazing! **

**If you review I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter (which will be posted a lot quicker than this chapter. Hopefully I'll never take a month to update again!). **


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